An illegal lead-acid battery factory in Savar is destroying farmland, crops and livelihoods, raising alarm over food security, public health risks and weak environmental enforcement in Bangladesh’s industrial outskirts crisis.
Agricultural land spanning more than 100 bighas (approximately 33 to 40 acres) in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, is reportedly being destroyed by toxic acid and gas emissions from an illegal lead-acid battery recycling factory, leaving farmers facing severe economic losses and escalating public health risks.
Experts warn that without immediate intervention, toxic lead contamination could permanently damage agricultural productivity, threaten national food systems and expose millions more children to irreversible health risks.
The factory, located in Jhauchar village under Tetuljhora Union, has been operating next to vegetable cultivation fields, according to local farmers and residents. They allege that hazardous chemicals released during the melting of used lead-acid batteries are contaminating surrounding farmland and damaging crops over several growing seasons.
During the current cultivation period, farmers planted vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, eggplant, beans, bottle gourd, Malabar spinach and coriander. However, toxic emissions from the factory are reportedly destroying crops before harvest, causing significant financial losses and threatening the livelihoods of local farming communities.
“The battery melting process releases harmful gas and every time it spreads, our crops get damaged,” said one farmer, requesting anonymity, expressing frustration over repeated losses.
Another farmer said, “Whenever our crops start growing properly, they get ruined. We are suffering year after year.”
Residents claim that pollution from the factory is not only damaging crops but also affecting residential infrastructure. Toxic gas emissions are reportedly corroding tin roofing sheets, threatening local biodiversity and increasing cases of respiratory illnesses and other health complications among nearby communities.
Attempts by locals and journalists to verify activities inside the factory were unsuccessful, as authorities managing the facility allegedly refused access. The continued operation of the factory despite repeated complaints has raised serious concerns about regulatory enforcement and environmental governance.
Officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension and the Savar Upazila administration said they are prepared to take action if formal written complaints are submitted.
Savar Upazila Agriculture Officer Al-Mamun said authorities could prepare a detailed assessment report in coordination with the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and recommend compensation measures for affected farmers, pending government approval.
Meanwhile, Savar UNO Md Saiful Islam said the local administration is maintaining a strict stance on the issue. “We will conduct enforcement drives immediately upon receiving verified information. We have already informed the Department of Environment and other relevant agencies,” he said.
Local residents and environmental experts warn that failure to shut down lead-leaking industrial sites could worsen environmental degradation, undermine food security and deepen Bangladesh’s already alarming public health crisis linked to toxic lead exposure.
Bangladesh is among the countries most affected by lead pollution. Currently, more than 36 million children in Bangladesh have blood lead levels exceeding 5 micrograms per deciliter (μg/dL), while over 9.7 million children exceed 10 μg/dL, despite scientific consensus that safe exposure levels should be close to zero. Globally, Bangladesh ranks fourth in the number of children affected by lead poisoning and also has the fourth highest death rate associated with lead exposure.
Public health experts warn that informal and poorly regulated lead-acid battery recycling operations remain one of the major contributors to lead contamination in developing countries, posing long-term neurological, developmental and cardiovascular risks.
Experts and activists are calling for urgent nationwide action to identify, regulate and eliminate illegal lead-acid battery recycling facilities, while ensuring safe recycling practices and just transition support for workers dependent on the informal battery recycling sector.
Environmental activist Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, warned that unregulated lead recycling poses severe threats to public health, food security and environmental sustainability. He said, “Illegal lead-processing factories are poisoning farmland, contaminating food systems and exposing farming communities, particularly children and workers, to highly toxic contamination.” He added, “Bangladesh is already facing a major lead poisoning crisis. Immediate enforcement action, safe recycling systems and strict accountability mechanisms are urgently needed to protect livelihoods, ecosystems and future generations.”
