Ship Breaking in Bangladesh

" We all know how ships are born, how majestic vessels are nudged into the ocean with a bottle of champagne. But few of us know how they die. And hundreds of ships meet their death every year. From five-star ocean liners, to grubby freighters, literally dumped with all their steel, their asbestos, their toxins on the beaches of some of the poorest countries in the world, countries like Bangladesh.You can’t really believe how bad it is here, until you see it. It could be as close as you’ll get to hell on earth, with the smoke, the fumes, and the heat. The men who labor here are the wretched of the earth, doing dirty, dangerous work, for little more than $1 a day.”
Bob Simon, CBS News, on 60 Minutes

Support Us

From 1997 YPSA tries to obtain improved working conditions at ship breaking yards of Chittagong, Bangladesh. YPSA organized social campaign program to raise the voice of the mass people about ensuring of the workers’ rights and save the environment and ecology from the pollution that generated from the unsafe and uncontrolled ship breaking practices. YPSA also implementing regular policy advocacy to influence the policy makers for taking necessary measures and formulate policy and strategy to conduct ship breaking in a safe and environment friendly way. Read more

Oil spill seen in the Bay

A 10-kilometre oil slick was reported in the Bay off the district's Sitakunda upazila 0n 14 December.. Boatmen and passengers crossing the area in the morning said they had noticed the strip which was around 50 feet wide and spreading to Kadam Rasul from Kumira coast. Visiting the spot by engine boats, The Daily Star correspondents found the strip. Boatmen, fishermen and people travelling between Sandwip and Chittagong said they often see oil spills, for what they blame the ship-breaking industry. Source: The Daily Star

A Two Day Visa

A cartoon from the Daily Star on government vs shipbreakers

Death Trap!

46 workers killed on the ship breaking yards of South Asia in the year of 2010 Details

26 workers killed on the ship breaking yards of Bangladesh in the year of 2009
details

14 workers killed in the year of 2008
details

Visages of Shipbreaking Workers by YPSA

 

4 Workers killed in gas leak

Four workers died after inhaling poisonous gas in in Chittagong when a docked ship was being gas-freed on 16 October in Giri Subedar Ship Breaking Yard. Those dead were identified as Mir Kashem, 22, Nesar Uddin, 25, Younus, 23, and Gias Uddin, 25.

Bangladesh Supreme Court Toughens Up on Ship Breaking Yards

Bangladesh's Supreme Court agreed on Monday to allow ship breaking yards more time to meet tougher safety and environmental rules, allowing them to operate until at least mid-October.

46 workers killed on the shipbreaking yards of South Asia this year

Hundreds of shipbreaking yard workers have died on the job throughout these past 30 years. According to available information, in these past 14 months alone there have been 46 reported deaths on the shipbreaking yards of the beaches of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Read more

Ship breaking in News
SC asks HC to examine shipbreaking rules
Development of maritime activities in Bangladesh
SC orders amending ship-breaking rules
Cabinet approves draft ship breaking, recycling policy
How can the SC directives be ignored?
SC directives ignored
Ship recycling doubles this year
SC's firm move against hazardous ship-breaking
Ship-breaking training institute on cards
Ship-breaker dies falling into elevator shaft
SC summons industries secy
No more conditional import of toxic ships
Lack of safety gears claim yet another
HC asks for ensuring safety
Ship-breaking security
Bangladesh ship breaking workers die after inhaling gas
Ship-breaking yard in Ctg fined, sued
3 killed in ship-breaking yard gas leak
4 dead, 40 taken ill in gas leaks
Of child labour and child rights
Worker dies in ship-breaking yard
2 workers die in Ctg ship breaking yard
New scrap shipyards near Sundarbans
Bangladesh to keep out 'toxic ship' MV Asia Union
Bangladeshi ship breakers defy court ruling
Hidden shame of ship-breaking industry
Older..../ Archive

 

Video

Iron Crows (Opens in new window)

Iron Crows
Director: Bong-Nam Park
North American Premiere

Trailer photo

Watch a worker's statement regarding the current situation on shipbreaking.

 

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

Winner Manthan Award