The Coalition of Local
NGOs, Bangladesh (CLNB) and Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela)
yesterday demanded that the government take action against ship-breaking yards
which are violating laws.
CLNB demanded that the
government investigate all incidents of workers' deaths at ship-breaking yards.
“As the shipyard owners
are deliberately leading untrained workers to deaths by engaging them in risky
jobs without adequate safety measures, they cannot avoid their liabilities for
the accidents,” said Harunur Rashid, chairperson of CLNB.
The government must
identify the owners who are engaging workers flouting “The Ship Breaking and
Ship Recycling Rules-2011,” effective since 2012, he added.
He also demanded that
the responsible owners be identified and punished.
Referring
to the government-authorised training centres' data, he said only 4,908 workers
out of 200,000 have the mandatory job training.
In 2010, following a
High Court order, which came after 43 workers had died, the government put up a
ban on the industry.
It lifted the ban in
2012 on condition that the owners follow the law.
Over 45 deaths occurred
in the last 28 months at ship-breaking yards, the CLNB chairperson said.
Meanwhile,
Bela sent a legal notice to the government asking it to cancel environment
clearance certificate and license of ship-breaking yards that have been
violating laws.
Bela made the move
following an incident of a gas cylinder explosion that killed four workers and
injured two others who were dismantling a 5,400 tonnes ship at Arafin
Enterprise at Kadam Rasul area in Sitakunda last Thursday.
In the legal notice,
Bela asked for a neutral probe committee to investigate the incident and
publish its report, said a press release of the organisation.
Bela sent the legal
notice to several government agencies as per the High Court's direction that
ordered compensation for all workers who die or are injured in accidents at
ship-breaking yards.
Source:
the daily star. 9 April 2014
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