Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun on Sunday said Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in the ship recycling industry in terms of environmental issues, professional and health safety.

The Minister made the remark when Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Espen Rikter-Svendsen met him at the latter’s office here in Dhaka, said a PID handout.

Nurul Majid said the ship recycling sector was on the verge of closure due to failure to prevent environmental pollution, various accidents and negative publicity at home and abroad.

In 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared ship recycling as an industry.

The Ministry of Industries issued the ‘Shipbreaking and Ship Recycling Rules’ in 2011 and enacted the ‘Bangladesh Ship Recycling Act’ in 2018 as part of developing the sector, he said.

The Norwegian ambassador urged the Government of Bangladesh to ratify the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (The Hong Kong Convention).

As a result of the ratification of this convention, Bangladesh will have the opportunity to take the lead in ship recycling, he said.

The ambassador said Norway is a shipbuilding nation and a large number of its expired vessels are there for recycling. Bangladeshi yards can be benefited by exploiting this opportunity, he said.

“For this, environmental and safety issues should be given importance,” said the Norwegian envoy, adding that if the Hong Kong Convention is ratified by 2023, Bangladesh will get two more years to comply with the related conditions.

In response, the Industries Minister said Bangladesh’s government is considering the ratification of ‘The Hong Kong Convention’ introduced by the International Maritime Organization.

He said a yard named PHP Shipbreaking and Ship Recycling Industries Limited in Bangladesh has already achieved the industry’s highest compliance certificate.

In the light of the decision of the Ministry of Industry, 85 yards have already prepared ‘Ship Recycling Facility Plan’ for the technical and structural development of the yards and the target was set for implementation of the plan within the next two years, he added.