Loose rein on acid sale, use
Taking the advantage of slack monitoring and poor implementation of laws, some traders in Old Dhaka are selling and using acid in violation of the laws.
This correspondent visited the acid-selling hub and found a good number of wholesale and retail acid shops in Armanitola, Goalnagar Lane, Golokpal Lane, and Tantibazar.
"We don't sell acid without licences. But if you go to Golokpal Lane of Malitola, you will get it as they don't bother much for licences", said a wholesaler of Goalnagar Lane.
Almost all big industries need acid for different purposes, he said. It is used to prepare jewelleries, produce electricity, aluminium, and fertiliser, purify water, dye textiles, and make batteries, he added.
Due to its easy availability, acid violence still goes unabated and led at least 153 people to fall its victim last year while Bangladesh is committed to curb acid violence through strong regulation of acid's sale and use. The government also formulated acts in this regard in 2002.
A record of Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) shows the number of acid victims stood at 349 in 2001, which reduced to 179 in 2008 and 150 in 2009. But the fact is acid violence still takes place and many small traders having no licence use acid, violating the law.
Talking to this correspondent, a jewellery shop owner of Goalnagar Lane said he has been operating the shop for last 48 years without having licence for using acid.
"I have trade license, and so I need not any licence to use acid", he said, unwilling to be named. The trader added that he needs only a pound of acid for a month, and he can buy nitric acid from any of the acid shops in that area with Tk 200-250.
The Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office in Dhaka said currently only 643 businesses posses licence for commercial use, general use, sale, and transport of acid. Of these 81 were licensed in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
The Acid Control Act 2002 says whoever produces, imports, transports, stores, sells, and uses acids without licence could be sentenced to 3-10 years' rigorous imprisonment with penalties. People who possess equipment for producing acids and have no licence could be sentenced to 3-15 years' rigorous imprisonment with penalties, it adds.
The law is a very good one, said members of the National Acid Control Council. Still it should make easier the licensing process to persuade small traders to have licence, because a trader who runs a business with a mere capital of Tk 20,000 finds it often impossible to pay Tk 5,000 as license fee, they added. The council members also emphasised that strong monitoring at grassroots level is ensured.
Monira Rahman, executive director of Acid Survivors Foundation, said, "The district acid control committee which is delegated to monitor acid use is not active in most of the districts. The DC office is overburdened with different types of works and lacks manpower to control illegal use and sale of acid.
"Above all the National Acid Control Council, the policy making and regulating body, lacks sincerity in this regard".
She said the National Acid Control Council, chaired by the home minister, has not sat since April 2010 though it is supposed to hold meeting every three months.
For proper implementation of the law, Monira suggested that the DC offices involve the union parishad members and local non-government organisations to monitor and control sale and use of acid.
"It is true there are many traders using and selling acid without any licence, and we cannot try them though we often lead mobile court drives due to human resources crisis", said Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Mohibul Haque.
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