Illegal lead-acid battery recycling in Cox’s Bazar has killed more than 100 cattle, devastated farming families and raised fears of food-chain contamination, exposing the human and environmental cost of weak regulation in one of Bangladesh’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
An illegally operated lead-acid battery recycling factory in southern Bangladesh has triggered an environmental and livelihood crisis, killing more than 100 cattle and raising fears of food-chain contamination in one of the country’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
The factory operated in Eidgaon, a rural sub-district of Cox’s Bazar that also hosts nearly one million Rohingya refugees. Over the past two weeks, at least 50 farming families in the nearby Kalirchhara Shiyapara area have lost their main source of income after toxic pollution contaminated grazing land and water sources, residents and officials said.
According to local people and environmental authorities, the facility ran without clearance from the Department of Environment (DoE). Workers burned used lead-acid batteries to extract lead, releasing sulphuric acid fumes into the air and dumping acid-laced wastewater into nearby streams and wetlands.
Battery dismantling reportedly took place during the day, while lead smelting was carried out at night to avoid detection. When journalists and officials later visited the site, piles of discarded batteries and visible acid runoff were found seeping into soil and waterways.
The factory was set up on rented land in a mango orchard on a hillside, allegedly by operators from Bogura district in northern Bangladesh. The location was chosen for easy access to discarded batteries from thousands of battery-powered three-wheelers operating across coastal areas, residents said.
Within weeks of operations beginning, cattle in surrounding villages began falling ill and dying. Families in the area depend heavily on cattle fattening for income and food security.
“I lost four cows one after another. Only a young calf survived,” said farmer Mohammad Osman. “We have lost our only means of livelihood.”
Veterinary surgeon Dr Imran Khan Imu said exposure to toxic fumes and acidic contamination caused the deaths. “Burning lead-acid batteries releases poisonous gases and acidic substances that damage the respiratory system and internal organs,” he said, adding that clinical examinations confirmed toxic exposure.
After protests erupted, factory operators and workers fled the area, residents said. The DoE later filed a legal case naming two local businessmen and 15 to 16 unidentified individuals.
However, villagers alleged that the main organisers were not included, raising concerns over political influence and accountability.
Landowner Jasim Uddin said he rented the land for 10,000 taka (about $100) a month without a written agreement. “I did not know a battery recycling factory would be set up there,” he said.
Eidgaon Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mir Kamruzzaman Kabir said a joint enforcement drive was conducted with DoE officials. “No one was found at the site during the operation. Legal action is underway,” he said.
Jamir Uddin, director of the DoE in Cox’s Bazar, warned that illegal battery recycling releases acidic fumes, toxic dust and hazardous chemicals, posing severe risks to soil, water, livestock and human health, especially children.
Environmental experts say the Eidgaon case reflects a wider pattern in Bangladesh’s informal recycling sector, where illegal operations often continue until irreversible damage occurs.
Bangladesh is among the world’s most lead-polluted countries, largely due to unsafe recycling of lead-acid batteries, informal smelting and weak enforcement. According to UNICEF and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, nearly four in ten Bangladeshi children have elevated blood lead levels, linked to irreversible brain damage, reduced intelligence and developmental delays.
The World Bank estimates lead pollution costs Bangladesh about $28.6 billion annually, six to nine percent of GDP, due to healthcare costs, lost productivity and long-term cognitive harm.
In December, the interim government acknowledged widespread food and environmental contamination. “Our children, parents and relatives are all victims,” the interim leader said, pledging action.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has announced the finalisation of a National Strategy on Lead Pollution, though environmental groups warn that past commitments have failed due to weak enforcement.
Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet Global, said the incident exposed systemic governance failures. “Illegal lead battery recycling is one of the most dangerous forms of industrial pollution in Bangladesh,” he said. “Climate-vulnerable rural communities are paying the price for weak enforcement.”
Without decisive action, he warned, “today’s environmental failures risk becoming an irreversible burden for a generation that had no role in creating this crisis.”
