28 July 2015

Bill to regulate ship-breaking industry gets cabinet nod

The cabinet has approved the draft of the ‘Bangladesh Ship Recycling Bill, 2015’ in order to limit the ship industry to some designated areas from now on and also given nod to the draft of the ‘Petroleum Bill, 2015’.

The drafts were approved at the 70th cabinet meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair on Monday.

According to the draft of the ship recycling bill, the government would fix some designated areas for the fastest grown ship breaking industry and anybody violating this act would be penalised.

Cabinet secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said a regulatory authority would monitor the areas meant for the ship recycling.  “Anyone importing, stocking or breaking ships without permission would be fined with Tk 10,00,000 to Tk 30,00,000 or be imprisoned for one-year term or face both.”

Anyone who would deny to provide necessary information to the regulatory body would be fined Tk 5,00,00 to Tk 20,00,000 or imprisoned for six months, he added.

He said the ship breaking industry would be under the ministry of industries from now on.

Besides, the draft of the Petrolatum Bill, 2015 has been approved in principal with a provision that anyone violating the act would be fined Tk 10,000 or imprisoned for six months. If anyone violating the act repeatedly, the penalty would be doubled. 

The cabinet secretary said storage and transportation of petroleum would be more efficient through making the existing law a time-befitting one.

Source: prothom-alo. 27 July 2015

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