Dialogue on Ship-breaking Industry: Most hazardous, need national policy

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Expressing grave concern over the environmental impact and hazardous working condition in the ship breaking industries in Chittagong, economists, academics and human rights activists at a national dialogue yesterday suggested formulation of a national policy for this sector.

While ship breaking is yet to be recognised as an industry in the country, the government already earns more than Tk 900 crore a year in revenue from the sector that employs over 20,000 people, they noted.

This sector has tremendous prospects but the issues of environment and workers’ rights should be addressed on an emergency basis, they said.

The Prothom Alo and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), an NGO, organised the dialogue on crisis and prospects of ship breaking industry in Bangladesh, in association with Manusher Jonno Foundation and held at Cirdap auditorium in the capital.

A national policy on the industry has to be formulated urgently with the participation of all stakeholders before a global regulatory mechanism is in place, said Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Debapriya Bhattyacharya.

There is a huge lack of information on the sector. Around seven government agencies are involved in the sector but no ministry takes the responsibility of looking after it.

There is no specific statistics on ships imported for breaking, investment and annual profit and no information on how the industry impacts environment and how workers’ rights are ensured, Dr Debapriya regretted. “Unless such information is gathered, we cannot take any position.”

Bangladesh has the second largest ship breaking industry, next to India’s. While investment in the sector is around Tk 3,000 crore, workers get only Tk 70 to 80 a day, which is lower than that of agricultural workers, the economist mentioned.

In his presentation, YPSA Programme Officer Mohammad Ali Shaheen said workers of the industry neither have job security nor arrangements for compensation when needed.

Water pollution in the sea adjacent to the industry is caused by toxic chemicals from the industry is destroying bio-diversity, he said. Waste management system in the industry area must be developed to prevent environmental pollution, he stressed.

Unnayan Samannay Chairman Dr Atiur Rahman said production of fish in seawater is declining due to pollutants from the industry, sanitation facilities for 50 to 60 per cent workers are very poor and 10 per cent workers are vulnerable to AIDS.

He suggested setting up a laboratory for chemical tests and strengthening inspection system so that ships with toxic chemicals cannot enter the country. Certification system could be introduced to this end, and the industries minister can take the lead in this regard, he said.

Stressing the need for ensuring workers’ rights and facilities, the economist said, “We don’t want a situation in ship breaking industry as in garments sector in recent time.”

Marine Science Professor Maruf Hossain of Chittagong University (CU) said ship breaking industries are located in developing countries as those are environmentally too hazardous.

Toxic chemicals used in building ships seriously affects environment, he said, adding that this causes human deformities.

LK Siddiqui MP criticised owners of the ship breaking industries saying that they employ workers through contractors who take no responsibility for their safety, health hazards or accidents.

Prof Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury of CU said there should be a mechanism to continuously monitor the impact of chemicals on the bio-diversity of the sea and areas adjacent to the ship breaking industry.

Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam said the information collected from the surveys of different researchers should be coordinated to assess the actual condition of ship breaking industry.

The workers, owners and the government have to look into the matter jointly, she said. The NGOs and civil society can only facilitate the process.

“We are not against ship breaking, but human being is the first priority. So, the workers who are subjected to rights violation, should be given their due dignity,” Shaheen Anam said.

Captain Enam Chowdhury, member of Ship Breaking Owners’ Association tried to defend the owners saying the industry has a big role in the national economy and that they are trying to improve the working condition.

The industry now has no child labour while fish production in the area is decreasing because of rampant fishing and use of ‘current net, he said.

Deputy Editor of the Prothom Alo Sajjad Sharif moderated the dialogue.

Other speaskers included Shamsul Alam and Farid Ahmed of the Directorate of Factory Inspection, Mirza Shawkat Ali of Department of Environment, Imam Hossain of industries ministry, Tobarak Mollah, advisor to Chittagong BGMEA, Sultan Mahmud of BILS, journalist Omar Kaiser and Mamun Abdullah, Rina Roy of Manusher Jonno, workers leaders ATM Nasiruddin and Salimullah Selim.

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