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PayTk30, buy a pound of acid

Selling continues freely despite stringent law

Kailash Sarkar and Mahbuba Zannat
Acids are sold freely at the city's Tantibazar, only a quarter of a kilometre away from Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office which is responsible for controlling production, transport, storage, usage and sale of acids.
Taking advantage of the authorities' inactivity, the acid market is running rampant increasing incidents of acid crimes in the country.
"You only have to pay Tk 30 for a pound of sulphuric acid and Tk 40 for a pound of nitric acid. As you have not brought any bottle, you can take this jar for Tk 200," said an acid seller of Goalnagar in Tantibazar showing a little jar capable of containing five pounds of sulphuric acid.
He said the price of acid is not fixed and they charge as
much as they can from people. He does not face any problem selling acids to those who do not have a licence to use acids or buy acids as the government monitoring is poor.
Sources said like Tantibazar, acids are also sold at Armanitola and Hatkhola in the city and a number of places in the country. Neither a licence nor cash memos are necessary to buy acids from any market.
The Daily Star correspondents went to several acid markets in Old Dhaka and found traders selling the dangerous chemicals.
"You just ask the traders at Goalnagar, they will provide you with acid as you require,” said Gopal of a jewellery shop at Tantibazar.
Gopal, busy cleansing a silver ornament at a tiny shop, said he uses nitric acid to melt gold but since he only needs
very small amount of the acid, he did not bother to get a licence, which is mandatory for acid users as per the Acid Control Act, 2002.
"We just collect acids from those who sell retail," he added.
Like Gopal, a significant number of jewellery-shop owners, especially the small ones, are using and collecting acids this way.
A mobile court led by a magistrate raided the area six months ago and since then nobody went there, said Kazi Abdul Hamid of Hasan Chemicals adding the raid was just after he renewed his licence.
"I do not have any licence for selling acids so I do not have acids to sell. But if you want I can manage it for you,” said Mohammad Fazlul Haque of Ekata Chemicals at Armanitola. FROM PAGE 1
Acids are frequently sold this way ignoring laws as the monitoring is poor.
According to the Acid Control Act, 2002, whoever produces, imports, transports, stores, sells and uses acids without licence could be sentenced to three to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment with fines. People who possess equipment used for producing acids without having the licence for them could be sentenced to three to 15 years' rigorous imprisonment with fines.
While talking to The Daily Star, Deputy Commissioner, Dhaka Mohammad Zillar Rahman said he has no special team to monitor and control the acid market.
"We should have a distinct monitoring team to control acid
use and sale; the fact is that we do not have one. Normally we visit specific shops through a mobile court and give or renew their licences. Even I cannot tell you when the last visit took place," he said.
There is also no schedule for market visits. Amongst different drives, the drive for acid control goes neglected often, the deputy commissioner admitted.
In most cases, criminals collect acids from small traders who have no licence at all. The small traders normally buy acid from the jewellery shops, tanneries and loom factories for their professional purposes and as they need very little amount of acid, they do not bother for a licence spending Tk 5,000.
Monitoring acid selling and measures for providing licences to
small traders should be strengthened immediately, said Executive Director of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) Salma Ali.
"Even after enacting the law, acid use is not controlled and this leads to the continuation of acid violence in the country," said Executive Director of Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) Monira Rahman.
In spite of repeated recommendations io district committees, no team has been formed to control acid use or plan any effective mechanism, she said adding that the local government, NGOs, associations of the acid users and acid survivors could be involved in the acid-control process, monitoring the market and preparing reports on acid use and abuse.