Conference on "Human cost and Environment Pollution for unregulated Ship breaking Industry and an Immediate Solution"

Newspaper Report Call to formulate policy to ensure ship-breaking workers' interest
Go to link The Daily Star
National policy on ship breaking seen essential
Go to link The Daily Independent

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY OBSERVED
KICK THE HABIT! TOWARDS A LOW CARBON ECONOMY

A rally of at least 1700 people was organized on the environment day where people from all sphere of life were joined demanding for a low carbon economy and stop pollution in the shipbreaking yards. Click for details

Fun of World Environment day’08

`KICK THE HABIT! TOWARDS A LOW CARBON ECONOMY”- the slogan of this year World Environment day written in the T-shirt distributed by Bangladesh Ship Breaker’s Association (BSBA) on the World Environment Day 08. It was criticized that BSBA does not know the meaning of this year slogan of WED’08. Go to Environmental pollution

Newspaper report on
Import of iron scraps, old ships made open
Go to link The Daily Financial Express

General Assembly of NGO platform on Shipbreaing

The Annual General Assembly of the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking was held from 19 – 20 May 2008 at Rue de la Linière 11, 1060 Brussels, Belgium. Representation from all the member organizations, made the AGM very much successful and effective. On behalf of YPSA Mr. Muhammed Ali Shahin joined in the AGM of the Platform.
Click for details

On May Day the Shipbreaking workers demanded to stop threat to their life

The Shipbreaking workers observed May Day with a call to stop threat to their life in the shipbreaking yards. They have arranged Human Chain and Rally demanding their basic rights along with along with the people from all walks of life
Click for details

A report on
Ship breakers following new trick to keep the Iron price high
At the daily Prothom Alo

Go to link Daily Prothom Alo (Bangla)

Newspaper report : Iron rod prices jump
Go to link The Daily New Age (English)

A headline of a local newspaper – Iron business in Bangladesh restrained by the syndicate of Ship breakers. Iron price highly increased.

Latest news

Death trap!

Accident in Chittagong Shipbreaking yards: 9 workers killed this year,2008, till now

Tahanur Biswas
Tahanur Biswas (45), son of Iman Ali Biswas, village: Keshobpur, P.O: Gouronagar, Thana : Bhagapara, District : Jessore, died on 12 July'08 after while he fall from the top of the ship in a shipbreaking yard named Allahr Dan Ship yard at Signboard area (Shitalpur) of Sitakund, Chittagong. He was a fitter man of the yard. After the accident he was sent to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital where the doctor declared his death.

Abdur Rashid
Abdur Rashid (25) son of Jahidul hoqe was killed by fire at Pakiza Ship Yard, owned by Mr. Shirajuddola on 1st July.
The home village of victim is Joramtal, Kumira, Shitakund
Another two workers, Nuru Safa(30) and Kamal (25) were injured in the same accident and admitted to CMCH.

Habibur Rahman (Rubel)
Habibur Rahman (Rubel), age: 25, was killed in an accident in S Trading Shipbreaking yard at midnight on 27 June. The accident took place while he was working to cut a part of a ship. He was hit by a big plate of iron. The yard is owned by Mr. Shafi at Bhatiary, Sitakund, Chittagong . He was a cutter man. His father name is Late Mohammed Nurul Alam, Village:Bhatiary, Union : Bhatiary, Sitakund, Chittagong . He was the only earning person of his family. After his death the yard authority gave only three thousand (One euro= 106 BDT) taka for his family

Hannan
Hannan was killed on 16 June’08 night after a horrifying accident in a yard, at Bhatiary, Sitakund. The yard is owned by Mr. Shafi. Hannan was a cutter helper. His age is reputed as 18 and also 20 in the medical papers. It can be mentioned that most of the cutter helper is below 18 years. Its seems that there was an intention to hide his age. After the accident injured Hannan was taken to a Private clinic not in the Govt. Hospital (CMCH). After an operation in that clinic he was declared as dead. The dead body was sent to his home, immediately, without doing the postmortem. Even the police was not informed about the accident. The local source of YPSA informed about the incident and whole story was revealed. The media, police, local govt. are informed later by YPSA official Mr. Shahin. The home village of the dead worker is in the District Khagrachori.

Ratan
Ratan (20) was killed in an accident while he was working on a ship (M.V. Mamtaj-shipping Burge) that is owned by Mr. Siddique Sawdagar. The accident occurred on last Saturday, 31 st May, at 4pm. His father name is Hellal Uddin, Village: Mechideng, Union: Mohira kanta, Thana: Gouripur, PO: Govindapur, District: Mymensingh. There are different opinions of the reasons behind his death. Like-falling on the sea from height, Electrical shock, sank in the sea while trying to cross one part of the sea, swallowed the toxic liquids of the ship. The people including the Foreman who brought the dead body in the Hospital could not say anything clearly. The dead body was taken to home after two days of the accident from the hospital. The younger brother of Ratan named Nayan met with owner. Mr. Siddique, the owner, clearly refused to give the amount of compensation fixed in by law which is tk. one lac (around 926 euro) . But the family of Ratan wants to know how their son died. The younger brother Nayan believes that his brother is killed because of the negligence of the owner and yard authority. They want justice.

Roise uddin
Another victim was Roise uddin (40). He died in an accident on 2nd June'08 in the S.Trading ship yard owned by Mr. Shafi . The dead was a loader. A part of the iron hit him when he was trying to load it on the truck. It was also heard that he was hit by a crane in the ship yard. He was died on the way to the Hospital. His home district is Noagaon, Village: Barokool, PO: Mir Hat, Thana: Rani Nagar, Father Name: Late Khoda Box. His dead body was taken to the home. A case of accident is filed in the Sitakund thana. The case no. is 07/08, date of the case is 02/06/08.

Haider Ali
Haider Ali (30) was killed in a ship breaking yard named Mahim ship yard, which is owned by Mr. Laskar. The dead worker Haider Ali, fall from the height of a ship when he was trying to load plates of iron. It is also heard that he was hit by a big piece of iron sheet. He was taken to a private hospital, where he was declared as dead. Then the body immediately has taken to the Chittgong Medical College Hospital. After the postmortem the dead body was sent to his home. His father is: Monsur Ali, Village: Forkani, Union: Kajoldog, District: Gaibandha. A case of Accident is filed in the Sitakund thana. The case no. is 09/08, case date: 10/06/08.

Abdul Rajjak and Abdul Majed
Two shipbreaking workers Abdul Rajjak (30) and Abdul Majed (28) were killed by a suffocative injury, on 20th April 08, in a ship yard named GS Trading (renamed SN Corporation) owned by Mr. Shawkat Ali, Vice president of Bangladesh Shipbreakers Association. Another one is severely injured in the same accident. They both were adult workers. It was known that the workers were instructed to go inside of a tank, which was full of toxic ballast water with high toxic substances. It was also known that the ships were not properly checked before ordering the workers to go inside the tanks. Some workers are saying that knowing the presence of the toxic substances in the tanks the yard authorities told them to go inside the tanks.

The home district of the dead workers is Lohaghara thana, Jamalpur district. The local people informed that the dead bodies were sent to their home immediately at the very night of the accident. They managed to hide the whole accident at nigh so that no one can come to know and see the dead workers.

The Gate of the yard was closed when the people informed about the accident. The yard authorities and owners’ representatives were not telling anything about the accident and not letting any one to go inside the yards.

Newspaper Report The Daily Star

2nd inter-ministerial meeting on Shipbreaking policy
The radiation and pollution, those are spread by the unsafe and unplanned shipbreaking practice, can not be accepted

Very recently, on 13th Aprill'08, the 2nd inter ministerial meeting, regarding Shipbreaking policy, was held that was presided by the Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping. In the meeting he said, the
Policy will have to be finalized within one month. And it should be complied with the existing international commitment of Bangladesh. All those relevant literature regarding Shipbreaking should be studied. Click for details

Candle light vigil

In the year 2007, eight workers died in the ship breaking yards of Chittagong. People remember them and demand stop killing in the ship yards. Click here for details