Bangladesh Ship-breaking Yards: Parliamentary body for action to stop casualties

A parliamentary body yesterday asked authorities concerned to take stern action against people responsible for accidents, and deaths and injuries to workers at ship-scrapping yards in Chittagong.

The parliamentary standing committee on environment and forest ministry also asked the ministry officials to take measures to prevent such accidents.

The committee members will also visit the beach of Sitakunda, where most of the ship-breaking yards are, in mid-February and then make recommendations to the ministry on how to prevent accidents.

“We will also visit the spot at Chittagong to have a first-hand experience and to discuss with all stakeholders especially the workers on how to avoid such accidents at the ship-scrapping yards,” Abdul Momin Talukder, chief of the committee, told The Daily Star.

“All members of the committee at the meeting were very vocal against repeated accidents at the ship-scrapping yards causing deaths to many workers. We asked officials concerned to take punitive measures against people behind such accidents,” said Talukder, also a BNP lawmaker.

The meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban also asked the ministry officials to make sure yard owners take all kinds of precautionary and safety measures to avoid accidents.

In the last 16 months, at least 24 workers were killed, mostly due to explosions and coming in contact with toxic materials, in ships while 17 others were maimed in 14 accidents in 14 shipyards.

Bangladeshi shipyards scrap nearly 100 ships a year on the Sitakunda beach.

Source: The Daily star. Monday, January 24, 2011

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