AFP reported that a controversial global treaty to clean up the ship recycling industry will mean a boom in business for the Bangladeshi magnates whose workers pull the often toxic vessels apart.
Mr Enam Ahmed technical head of the Bangladesh Shipbreakers Association said “Around a dozen new companies are popping up here. Yards that have been dormant for years are bouncing back to life. There’s a sense a boom time is coming with more ships heading our way. The new treaty recognizes the way we work.”
Mr Bazlur Rahman head of the government’s shipping department said “Nevertheless, the treaty will give legitimacy to the way Bangladeshi entrepreneurs break ships at Sitakundu. It will tremendously boost growth and remove the stigma attached to it.”
The International Maritime Organization agreement on ship breaking was signed last month by 65 countries and business leaders say the deal finally legitimizes their work and should herald major growth for the sector. The agreement set up by the IMO, which is part of the United Nations, requires ship owners to provide an inventory of hazardous materials before a vessel is sent for scrapping. It also orders bosses to improve safety procedures for workers, dozens of whom are reported to die every year in accidents.
But trade unionists and environmentalists have criticized the treaty for failing to address the serious dangers faced by workers and the pollution that the industry causes.