The shipbreaking industry is important for Bangladesh’s economy, but its harm to the environment, worker safety, and coastal areas is becoming more evident.
An editorial published in “The Daily Star” News newspaper on 26 October 2026 expresses deep concern regarding the risks associated with relaxing the environmental clearance process for this industry. The editorial says that shipbreaking is a dangerous and dirty business. Making rules easier puts workers, the coast, and sea life at risk all at once.
In this industry along the Sitakunda coast, breaking down old ships has, for years, let out asbestos, heavy metals, oil, harmful paints, toxic chemicals, and other dangerous substances into the sea, the land, and nearby communities.
Environmentalists and ocean experts say that this waste hurts the natural balance of the coast. It damages mangrove forests, fish breeding grounds, sea life, and farmland near the shore. Consequently, they argue that instead of simplifying clearance procedures, the sector requires even stricter oversight.
Environmental Dangers and Policy Issues: The article and talks about the environment show important risks, changing shipbreaking from just an economic area to a big environmental policy problem.
Toxic Waste and Marine Pollution:
During the tearing down process, materials from old ships—like asbestos, lead, mercury, copper, harmful chemicals, and other waste—are let into the water or onto the beaches. As a result, toxic substances accumulated on the seabed enter the food chain, affecting fish, crabs, mollusks, aquatic plants, and the broader coastal ecosystem.
Workplace Insecurity:
In shipbreaking yards, workers often lack adequate safety equipment, proper training, gas-testing protocols, fire-prevention measures, and emergency medical support. This increases the risk of accidents, respiratory issues, skin diseases, toxic exposure, and fatalities. The industry has been described in editorials as “occupationally and environmentally hazardous.”
Damage to Coastal Ecosystems:
Shipbreaking activities in Sitakunda and the surrounding coastal areas lead to the contamination of soil with heavy metals, accelerate the erosion of mangroves and shorelines, and jeopardize the livelihoods of local communities dependent on fishing and agriculture. Environmentalists warn that once such pollution accumulates, it is extremely difficult to reverse.
Concerns Regarding Lax Environmental Clearances:
While industry stakeholders often view lengthy approval processes and stringent standards as obstacles to production, environmentalists argue that relaxing safety and environmental regulations would impose a heavy cost on workers and local communities. Therefore, rather than expediting the issuance of clearances, the focus should be on implementing effective and accountable oversight.
International Standards and Bangladesh’s Obligations: The shipbreaking industry is a sensitive issue on the global stage. Agreements such as the ‘Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships’ and the Basel Convention aim to ensure that the recycling of hazardous vessels is regulated, safe, and environmentally friendly. Experts emphasize that if Bangladesh wishes to maintain its position as a sustainable shipbreaking hub in the international market, it requires robust, implementable ‘green’ policies—not merely standards that exist only on paper.
Against this backdrop, there have been calls to make the transition to ‘green yards’—or safe ship-recycling facilities—a mandatory requirement. This means we need better rules for taking away dangerous waste, keeping workers safe, tracking harmful materials, managing waste, fire safety, and responding to emergencies to match global standards. Failure to achieve this transformation—compounded by lax policies—will only render the industry even more unregulated.
Economy Compared to Environment: A Tough Balance: The industrial sector thinks this area is crucial for supplying raw materials to heavy industries. Yet, environmentalists argue that development and profit cannot last if they cause permanent damage to the environment. Although the shipbreaking industry contributes to Bangladesh’s economy, its externalized costs—such as pollution, health risks, the degradation of agricultural land, the decline of marine life, and threats to the livelihoods of coastal communities—often remain unaccounted for
They believe that simply simplifying the approval process won’t improve how well the industry works. Instead, it could lead to more issues, less responsibility, and a higher risk of accidents. Modernization isn’t about reducing rules; it’s about using technology for safety, doing audits often, and having systems to care for the environment.
Conclusion and Green Page’s Perspective: Green Page maintains that the shipbreaking industry cannot be sustained by evading environmental responsibilities. Relaxing regulatory requirements for this sector would not only jeopardize the industry itself but also threaten the coastal marine environment, biodiversity, and the health of the workers.
Bangladesh has to act fast by creating tough policies, making sure they are followed, and shifting to a “green shipbreaking” system that matches international rules. Development is only meaningful when it ensures the protection of human life, labor, and the natural environment.
