Bangladesh Must Enforce Environmental Laws to Regulate Ship Breaking Industry: Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan
Dhaka, Bangladesh – Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has called for stricter enforcement of environmental laws and accountability in Bangladesh’s ship breaking industry to prevent the country from becoming a dumping ground for hazardous waste.
Speaking at a workshop on the National Regulatory Framework for Ship Recycling and Hazardous Waste Management in Bangladesh at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka, Rizwana Hasan emphasized the urgent need for reforms in the sector.
“The country will turn into a dumping ground of the world’s hazardous waste if urgent reforms are not brought in this sector,” she stated, highlighting the severe human and environmental costs of the ship breaking industry.
Human and Environmental Costs of Ship Breaking
The ship breaking industry in Bangladesh has long been a subject of controversy due to its hazardous working conditions and environmental impact. Shipbreaking yards in Chattogram dismantle decommissioned vessels, many of which contain toxic substances like asbestos, heavy metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These materials pose significant risks to both workers and the surrounding environment.
Rizwana Hasan reiterated that the industry should not be continued at the cost of human lives. She stressed the need to enforce the High Court’s directive prohibiting ship breaking activities in the tide and ebb region, incorporating this decision into the national policy.
“There is no justification for keeping this industry alive if it fails to meet global safety and environmental standards,” she asserted. “I am eager to work with the Ministry of Industry to protect Bangladesh from becoming a toxic waste dumping station and to ensure the safety of our workers.”
Lack of Safety Standards and Worker Exploitation
One of the key issues plaguing the ship breaking sector is the dangerous working conditions. Many workers in these yards operate without proper safety gear, exposing themselves to hazardous materials that can cause long-term health problems, including cancer.
Rizwana Hasan drew a comparison between the ship breaking industry and Bangladesh’s garment sector, pointing out that while foreign buyers ensure labor standards in garment factories, ship breaking owners evade their legal responsibilities.
“In the garment industry, foreign buyers ensure that labor standards are met,” she said. “In contrast, ship breaking owners evade their legal responsibility for cleaning up hazardous waste, bringing ships to Bangladesh under false certifications.”
She emphasized that the issue is not just about ships carrying waste but the toxic materials embedded in their structures, which Bangladesh lacks the capacity to manage safely.
Weak Regulations Allow Hazardous Waste Dumping
Criticizing the weak enforcement of regulations, Rizwana Hasan warned that unless the law is effectively implemented, the industry will continue operating under the guise of being a “green industry”, despite failing to meet environmental and safety standards.
“If the law is not effective, the industry will get legality only as a green industry,” she cautioned. “If exporters and ship owners do not adhere to international regulations, managing environmental consequences would be unrealistic.”
She revealed alarming instances of fraudulent waste declarations, where a single company issued certificates from four different countries on the same day to facilitate illegal ship breaking in Bangladesh.
The Need for Stronger Legal Regulations
To combat these issues, Rizwana Hasan underscored the need for credible legal regulations on waste declarations, urging ship breaking companies to provide clear warnings about toxic risks.
“Workers dismantling these ships remain unaware of the toxic risks they face,” she said. “Ship breaking industry owners should set up signboards at the site in multiple languages to warn workers of cancer risks.”
She also emphasized the “polluter pays” principle, arguing that waste generators must be held responsible for proper disposal of hazardous materials.
“Most vessels arriving in Bangladesh originate from small island states, although they were originally owned by European companies,” she explained. “Before being sent here, these companies change the ships’ registration in a practice known as ‘flag of convenience’, allowing them to evade legal responsibility.”
Double Standards in Global Ship Breaking Regulations
Rizwana Hasan pointed out the double standards in global regulations, questioning why ship breaking is not conducted in European countries under the same conditions as in Bangladesh.
“Would any European country allow ship breaking on its own beaches?” she asked. “Why should the standards be different when workers’ lives are at stake?”
Government’s Role in Enforcing Regulations
The adviser also criticized the Ministry of Industry for permitting ship breaking activities despite ongoing environmental violations. She revealed that certain ship breaking yards continue to operate without valid environmental clearance, citing a recent serious worker injury on February 3 as evidence of unsafe conditions.
“Whose interests are we protecting when drafting regulations?” she questioned. “There are international laws holding polluters accountable, but in Bangladesh, ship owners and breakers control the narrative, often using regulatory loopholes to disguise hazardous practices.”
Upholding Court Directives and Protecting Workers
Rizwana Hasan reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring Bangladesh does not become a dumping ground for hazardous waste. She called for the full implementation of the High Court’s directives, which have been upheld by the Supreme Court, to regulate the industry.
“We cannot allow an industry to thrive at the cost of human lives,” she declared. “Any legal framework for ship breaking must align with global safety and environmental standards. Our workers deserve protection, and our environment deserves better.”
International Cooperation and Policy Reform
Other notable speakers at the workshop included Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser for the Ministry of Industry; Zakia Sultana, Secretary, Ministry of Industry; and Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, Ambassador of Norway to Bangladesh. They echoed the need for Bangladesh to strengthen its regulatory framework for ship recycling to ensure environmental sustainability and worker safety.
As the debate over Bangladesh’s ship breaking industry continues, the call for reform grows louder. The government now faces the challenge of enforcing stricter laws, closing regulatory loopholes, and ensuring the industry operates in a way that protects both human lives and the environment. Without urgent intervention, Bangladesh risks being transformed into a global dumping ground for toxic waste, with dire consequences for its people and ecosystem.
