Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today called for strict enforcement of environmental laws and ensuring accountability in Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry.
“The country will turn into a dumping ground of world's hazardous waste if urgent reforms are not brought in this sector,” she said while speaking at a workshop on the National Regulatory Framework for Ship Recycling and Hazardous Waste Management in Bangladesh at Hotel Intercontinental here.
Highlighting the human and environmental costs of the industry, the adviser said the shipbreaking industry should not be continued at the cost of human lives.
In this connection, she said the ship-breaking activities have to be prohibited at the tide and ebb region in line with the higher court directives and the decision has to be incorporated in the national policy.
"There is no justification for keeping this industry alive if it fails to meet global safety and environmental standards...I am eager to work with the Ministry of Industries to protect Bangladesh from becoming a toxic waste dumping station and ensuring safety of our workers," she said.
The directives of the High Court, upheld by the Supreme Court, cannot and must not be ignored," the adviser stated.
Rizwana mentioned dangerous working conditions in the shipbreaking industry, where workers are often exposed to life-threatening hazards due to a lack of adequate safety gear.
Comparing ship breaking industry with Bangladesh’s garment sector, she pointed out, “In the garment industry, foreign buyers ensure that labour standards are met.
In contrast, shipbreaking owners evade their legal responsibility for cleaning up hazardous waste, bringing ships to Bangladesh under false certifications."
The environment adviser emphasized that the issue is not merely about ships carrying waste but about the toxic materials embedded in their structures—materials that Bangladesh cannot safely manage.
Attaching importance on enforcing ship breaking regulations, she said if the law is not effective, the industry will get legality only a green industry.
She criticized weak regulations that allow hazardous waste to be dumped in Bangladesh saying if exporters and ship owners do not adhere to international regulations, the issue of managing environmental consequences would be unrealistic.
She revealed instances where fraudulent waste declarations enabled illegal imports, with a single company issuing certificates from four different countries on the same day to facilitate shipbreaking in Bangladesh.
Rizwana underscored the need for credible legal regulations on waste declarations, warning that workers dismantling these ships remain unaware of the toxic risks they face. Shipbreaking industry owners should set up signboards at the site in multiple languages to warn workers of cancer risks, she added.
Emphasizing the "polluter pays" principle, the adviser argued that waste generators must be held responsible for their disposal. She said most vessels arriving in Bangladesh originate from small island states, although they were originally owned by European companies.
Before being sent here, Rizwana said, these companies changed the ships' registration in a practice known as "flag of convenience", allowing them to evade legal responsibility.
"Would any European country allow shipbreaking on its own beaches? Why should the standards be different when workers' lives are at stake?" she asked.
The advisor also criticized the Ministry of Industries for permitting shipbreaking despite ongoing environmental violations. She revealed that certain yards continue to operate without valid environmental clearance and noted that a serious worker injury was reported recently on February 3.
"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."
Rizwana concluded by reaffirming her commitment to ensuring that Bangladesh does not become a dumping ground for hazardous waste.
"We cannot allow an industry to thrive at the cost of human lives. Any legal framework for shipbreaking must align with global safety and environmental standards. The High Court's directives, upheld by the Supreme Court, must be implemented. Our workers deserve protection, and our environment deserves better," she added.
Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser for the Ministry of Industries; Zakia Sultana, Secretary, Ministry of Industries and Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, Ambassador of Norway to Bangladesh also spoke on the occasion.
