The government aims to bring fatalities in Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry down to zero while ensuring the continued development of the sector, Industries Ministry Additional Secretary Rashedul Islam has said.
He made the remarks at a seminar titled “Safety Awareness Program on Sustainable Ship Recycling in Bangladesh: Prevention of Fatal Accidents”, organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at Hotel Agrabad in Chattogram.
Rashedul Islam stressed greater use of technology to improve safety at shipbreaking yards and suggested that owners install cameras and internet connectivity to monitor operations remotely.
“The shipbreaking industry is poised for billion-dollar business in the future. Therefore, safety must be ensured,” he said.
Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Dr Md Ziauddin said Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry has a long history and that green ship recycling yards are now being developed.
He warned that even minor negligence could cause serious accidents, describing shipbreaking as a highly hazardous industry that requires constant vigilance.
Bangladesh Ship Breaking and Recycling Association (BSBRA) President Mohammad Mohsin said accidents have declined at green shipyards compared with the past, although the recent accident caught the industry off guard.
Joint Secretary of the Industries Ministry and Director General of the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board Gazi Md Asaduzzaman Kabir, JICA expert Akira Okamoto, project official Engineer Soumik Sharif Dipta and members of the BSBRA executive committee attended the seminar.
