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Monday, Jun 09, 2025
Outside the box.
Bangladesh's Shipbreaking Industry Faces Transformation Amid Green Compliance Pressure
A major international treaty may halt operations at most Bangladeshi scrapyards, raising concerns for workers and environmental standards.
Delwar Hossain, a ship cutter based in Bangladesh, faces the prospect of losing his job as the industry undergoes stringent regulatory changes.
With a deadline set for June 26, scrapyards must comply with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships to continue operations, pushing for a 'green' certification.
The impending regulations threaten to idleness more than 90% of the scrapyards along Chittagong's beach, a site that has become synonymous with shipbreaking.
The president of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), Mohammed Zahirul Islam, estimates that approximately 80% of the workforce, about 40,000 workers, may find themselves unemployed.
Out of the 114 member scrapyards, only seven are currently compliant with the new regulations, a number expected to rise to twenty by year’s end, although some analysts suggest it may only reach ten.
Chittagong, Bangladesh’s second-largest city, holds the title as the world’s foremost shipbreaking hub by steel tonnage, with nearly 40% of global scrapped vessels ending their life cycle there last year.
The process is notoriously hazardous, with workers operating handheld oxy-torches to dismantle enormous cargo vessels and facing significant risks, including severe injuries and exposure to toxic materials.
Reports indicate that in the past five years, there have been at least 38 deaths and 177 injuries in Bangladeshi shipbreaking facilities, cast in stark relief by the perilous working conditions.
Workers like Delwar Hossain earn approximately 600 taka (around $7.70) per shift, attempting to support their families despite the dangerous work environment, often lacking protective gear.
Critics of the industry highlight that there are no safe or environmentally friendly methods to dismantle ships on the beaches of Bangladesh, which are unregulated compared to practices in developed nations.
Concerns have been raised regarding the adequacy of the Hong Kong convention itself, with activists asserting that it does not sufficiently address issues including labour rights and pollution.
According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, the convention primarily serves the interests of shipping companies, failing to impose the same stringent standards as other international treaties such as the Basel Convention, which regulates the disposal of hazardous waste.
A persistent concern is the circumvention of existing regulations by shipping companies.
Tactics such as the use of cash buyers and flags of convenience allow firms to obscure the origins of ships, complicating compliance with international laws aimed at ensuring safe disposal practices.
As a result, ships flagged by countries with less stringent regulations are more likely to end up in Bangladeshi scrapyards, where the compensation for scrapping remains significantly higher than in regulated European yards.
Bareesh Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association notes that while the Hong Kong Convention places obligations on the flag state of the ship and the recycling state, it does not adequately manage the responsibility of developed nations to handle their waste.
He underscores the deficiencies in the treaty which may render it ineffective and potentially exacerbate the existing challenges faced by Bangladesh, a nation lacking any specialized hazardous waste disposal facilities.
Conversely, some yards, such as PHP, claim to have implemented measures to mitigate environmental impacts and worker safety concerns, including the provision of concrete flooring and personal safety equipment.
Zahirul, who oversees PHP, acknowledges the persistent challenge of managing hazardous waste on-site, particularly asbestos, which is encased in concrete when disposal options are unavailable.
Yet the broader context reveals that the responsibility for addressing these systemic issues cannot rest solely on the shoulders of Bangladesh, especially when the ships' operational lifetimes benefit developed nations largely.
With the deadline approaching, the future of Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry hangs in the balance, caught between international regulatory frameworks and the socio-economic realities faced by its workforce.
With a deadline set for June 26, scrapyards must comply with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships to continue operations, pushing for a 'green' certification.
The impending regulations threaten to idleness more than 90% of the scrapyards along Chittagong's beach, a site that has become synonymous with shipbreaking.
The president of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), Mohammed Zahirul Islam, estimates that approximately 80% of the workforce, about 40,000 workers, may find themselves unemployed.
Out of the 114 member scrapyards, only seven are currently compliant with the new regulations, a number expected to rise to twenty by year’s end, although some analysts suggest it may only reach ten.
Chittagong, Bangladesh’s second-largest city, holds the title as the world’s foremost shipbreaking hub by steel tonnage, with nearly 40% of global scrapped vessels ending their life cycle there last year.
The process is notoriously hazardous, with workers operating handheld oxy-torches to dismantle enormous cargo vessels and facing significant risks, including severe injuries and exposure to toxic materials.
Reports indicate that in the past five years, there have been at least 38 deaths and 177 injuries in Bangladeshi shipbreaking facilities, cast in stark relief by the perilous working conditions.
Workers like Delwar Hossain earn approximately 600 taka (around $7.70) per shift, attempting to support their families despite the dangerous work environment, often lacking protective gear.
Critics of the industry highlight that there are no safe or environmentally friendly methods to dismantle ships on the beaches of Bangladesh, which are unregulated compared to practices in developed nations.
Concerns have been raised regarding the adequacy of the Hong Kong convention itself, with activists asserting that it does not sufficiently address issues including labour rights and pollution.
According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, the convention primarily serves the interests of shipping companies, failing to impose the same stringent standards as other international treaties such as the Basel Convention, which regulates the disposal of hazardous waste.
A persistent concern is the circumvention of existing regulations by shipping companies.
Tactics such as the use of cash buyers and flags of convenience allow firms to obscure the origins of ships, complicating compliance with international laws aimed at ensuring safe disposal practices.
As a result, ships flagged by countries with less stringent regulations are more likely to end up in Bangladeshi scrapyards, where the compensation for scrapping remains significantly higher than in regulated European yards.
Bareesh Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association notes that while the Hong Kong Convention places obligations on the flag state of the ship and the recycling state, it does not adequately manage the responsibility of developed nations to handle their waste.
He underscores the deficiencies in the treaty which may render it ineffective and potentially exacerbate the existing challenges faced by Bangladesh, a nation lacking any specialized hazardous waste disposal facilities.
Conversely, some yards, such as PHP, claim to have implemented measures to mitigate environmental impacts and worker safety concerns, including the provision of concrete flooring and personal safety equipment.
Zahirul, who oversees PHP, acknowledges the persistent challenge of managing hazardous waste on-site, particularly asbestos, which is encased in concrete when disposal options are unavailable.
Yet the broader context reveals that the responsibility for addressing these systemic issues cannot rest solely on the shoulders of Bangladesh, especially when the ships' operational lifetimes benefit developed nations largely.
With the deadline approaching, the future of Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry hangs in the balance, caught between international regulatory frameworks and the socio-economic realities faced by its workforce.
