Bangladesh Moves To Strengthen Ship Recycling Hazardous Waste Laws

Draft amendments to update Bangladesh’s ship recycling and hazardous waste management legislation have been developed through The International Maritime Organization (IMO) SENSREC project, with the aim of aligning the industry with international environmental and safety standards.

The proposed amendments were presented and reviewed during a high-level workshop in Dhaka attended by key stakeholders in government and the private sector.

They seek to bring the country’s shipbreaking sector in line with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention), as well as key provisions of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions.

Organized by IMO’s Safe and Environmentally sound Ship Recycling (SENSREC) Project, the workshop gathered 85 participants from across the Bangladeshi shipbreaking and recycling industry. High-level officials, including three government ministers, took part in the event.

Adviser to the Ministry of Shipping Mr. Sakhawat Hossain and Adviser to the Ministry of Industries Minister of Industries Mr. Rahman Khan both expressed their commitment to developing Bangladesh’s ship recycling industry, while stressing the need to address environmental performance and worker safety.

Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, Climate Change and Water Resources, Ms. Rizwana Hasan called for enhanced monitoring of sustainability efforts and tougher penalties to enforce safety laws and prevent accidents and injury to the workforce.

Comments from the workshop will be incorporated into a draft proposal by the Ministry of Industries. The final draft will then be circulated to relevant government ministries for final feedback before submission for approval.

The SENSREC initiative, funded by the Government of Norway (represented by Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh, H.E Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen at the event) and led by the IMO, aims to support developing countries in implementing the Hong Kong Convention and promote sustainable practices in ship recycling.

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