We know powerful business houses and ruling party men are involved in ship breaking and many of them are running their own steel re-rolling mills or supplying others to produce iron rods and such other steel products. It is a billion dollar business at the moment. They are importing depleted ships and breaking them whether or not there is any ban on import of exhausted ships having contaminated materials.
What is at stake is that such ships contain toxic materials; which severely affect sea species and human health. The immediate concern arises from the current dismantling of a Maersk-owned floating oil tanker; which arrived at Sitakunda on October 27 from the UK. Since such ships are environmentally hazardous, their import is also prohibited without prior permission of the concerned Bangladesh government authorities. We also know that export of this ship from UK and its entry to Bangladesh is also illegal under the European Waste Shipment Regulation due to concerns mainly about environmental hazards.
Scraping of ships is not new in Bangladesh but it is subject to regulations now. The first intervention came from a High Court order in 2006 when over 16 ships were taken for breaking. Some Human Rights Organizations took the matter on environmental concern to the court; which issued the order. Bangladesh government then formulated new rules in 2009 for ship breaking industry; prohibiting entry of ship bearing hazardous residues. But powerful ship breaking companies are apparently not paying heed to such restrictions.
It is unfortunate when a company has raised question on the authority of the DoE on ship breaking activities saying they are not under them but the Ministry of Industries. It raises bigger question as to why they are not respectful to the due authorities of the government. In our view such defiance is not good for a functional government.
We believe that the matter must be properly investigated to secure compliance of the ship breakers to existing government rules and High Court order. Powerful quarters can do anything now but the government must also show it is in control. We need business to grow but they must be equally respectful to the rules of business.
