Bangladesh leaf plant said to pose threat

A leaf tobacco processing factory has been the subject of protests in the Saptibari village of the Aditmari subdistrict of Bangladesh because of its proximity to educational institutions, according to a story in The Daily Star.

Factory and local sources were quoted as saying that though the Mian Leaf tobacco factory was built in 2012, it was not used to process tobacco last year because of protests by schoolchildren, teachers and other local people.

However, the factory’s owner is said to have decided to run the factory this year following the tobacco harvest.

The Star said the heads of three educational institutions close to the factory believed the health of their 1,500 students would be put at risk if the tobacco factory became operational, though the nature of the health risk was not specified.