Economic Reporter :
The cabinet on Monday gave the final nod to the draft of “The Bangladesh Ship Recycling Law, 2017” keeping a provision of tougher punishments for streamlining the country’s potential ship recycling industry. The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said that under the Section 4 of the proposed law, a zone would be established in Chittagong for the ship recycling industry and the industry owners would have to set up yards and conduct their activities within the zone.
Besides, he said, the ship recycling industries would have to abide by the international law and conventions.
Under the new law, a new 11-member board will be constituted to oversee the activities of the ship recycling industries with an Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Industries as its chairman.
The other members of the board include a representative each from the Ministries of Industries, Forests and Environment, Labour and Employment, and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, NBR, Chittagong Port Authority, President of the Ship Recycling Industries Association, and two members from the Ship Recycling Industries Association to be nominated by the government and the Director General of the Board.
The board will oversee the activities of the ship recycling industries and it will sit thrice a year.
About the punishment, the Cabinet Secretary said that if anyone establishes yard without permission, the punishment for such offence is maximum two years jail or minimum Tk 10 lakh or maximum Tk 30 lakh fine or both.
Alam said the punishment for importing ship without NOC is two years jail or minimum Tk 10 lakh fine or maximum Tk 30 lakh fine.
He said that if anybody brings a ship ashore and recycles it without NOC certificate, then the punishment is also maximum two years jail or minimum Tk 10 lakh fine which could be maximum Tk 30 lakh.
The Cabinet Secretary said that the punishment for availing facility through fake certificate is maximum five years jail or minimum Tk 5 lakh as fine or maximum Tk 20 lakh in fine.
In the case of setting up yards outside of the zone, he said, the punishment is two years jail or minimum Tk 10 lakh as fine which could be as high as Tk 30 lakh.
