Press - Bangladesh Ship Breaking Association:

In Response to the article of Syeda Rizwana Hasan in the Daily Financial Express-

Thailand Still Breaks & Recycles Ships With The Permission Of Marine Department Otherwise; They Would Not Have Hosted A “Regional Workshop On The Early Implementation Of The Technical Standards Of The Hong Kong Convention”, At Pattaya, Between 25th To 27th May 2010.

Japan Is Again Commercially Developing Ship Breaking & Recycling In Muroran, Hokkaido & Have Arranged For An “International Ship Recycling Symposium”, Between 15th To 16th June, 2010. At The Same Time The Japanese Government Has Launched & Undertaken A Study Project To Develop Ship Breaking Yards In Alang & Soysa, India For Breaking & Recycling Japanese Owned Ships.

As Regards South Korea And Taiwan, The Ship Breaking & Recycling Has Been Restricted Due To The Following Facts:-

a)    Increased Labour Cost,

b)    Higher Cost Of Living Due Raised Standards,

c)    Prosperity Has Lead To The Non-Existance Of Mindset To Use Old & Secondhand Materials,

d)    Establishment Of High-Tech & Heavy Industries

The Economical Non-Viability Of Ship Breaking & Recycling Sector In Those Countries.

The Above Clearly States Writer’s Ignorance & Back Datedness, As Well As Expresses Her Vested & Malafide Intentions.

The Ship Building Industry In The West Has Lost Their Business To The East (Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, India & Phillipines). The Building Yards In The West Are Idle & In Need Of Employment Opportunity. Therefore Certain Western Quarters Have Employed & Funded The So Called Environmentalist Camps Who In turn Have Funded Certain NGOs In The Developing Countries To Bring About An End Of Ship Breaking In The Sub-Continent E.G. Bangladesh. An Article In “The Daily Guardian” UK, 2005, Clearly Reflects Their Motive, Agenda, Intentions Which Certain Of Our NGOs Are Complying & Trying To Fulfill.

Ship Breaking For Sure Recovers 40,000 To 60,000 Metric Tons Of Processed Woods Every Year And By Disputing Its Contribution To Save Greenery & Deforestation In This Country Is Nothing But Intentionally Suppressing The Truth. Ignorance Can Lead To A Comment By The Writer, “The Countries Of The World Who Have The Densest Forests Have Not Required A Ship Breaking Industry To Protect Their Forests”.

The Quality & Standard Of Steel Produced From Ship Breaking Scrap Are Being Tested By CUET, BSTI & Found To Be Of Grade 40 & Above. The Materials Processed From Ship Breaking Scrap Are Better In Terms Of Yield Strength, Notch Impact Strength And Through Thickness Ductility. In Terms Of Chemical Composition It Is Consistent And Has Low Sulphur And Phosphorus Content. In Terms Of Metallurgical Properties, Steel From Ships Are Normalized, Fully Killed And Has Finer And More Compact Grain Structure, Free From Inclusions, Pores & Cracks And Austenitic Properties. Hence For All Kinds Of Applications Those Require Impact Resistance, Corrosion Resistance, Machinability, Bendability, Flexibility And Formability, Steel From Ship Breaking Scrap Has Been Found To Be More Suitable Than Steel From Ingots And Billets. Normally Scrap From The Demolished Ships Are Usually Sent Into Melting Furnaces, But In Bangladesh We Have The Technique Of Re-Rolling Scrap Into Producing Construction Steel Without Having To First Cast Scrap As Billets And Ingots.

The Cost Of Flats Doesn’t Solely Depend On The Iron Materials But On Lots Of Other Objects & Factors Which Is A Matter Doesn’t Need Any Explanation & Asking Regarding Noble Services By Ship Breakers, Are Irrelevant.

Being Involved With The Film “Iron Eater” In Earlier Stages Which Was Made Around 2004 / 2005 On The Idea To Let The Developed World Know, How A Suitable Process Can Be Developed For Recycling Ships & To Raise Their Moral Obligations To Support People & The Industry Of Developing World Who Are Involved In Ship Breaking & Recycling. The Maker & The Producer Has Made A Mockery Of The Simplicity Of Developing Nations Poor People, Exploited & Made Future For Himself Like The Writer Ms. Hassan. The Film Has Given The Syndicated NGOs To Ponder On The Mere Negative Sides Of The Game & Not Showing The Real & Positive Impacts The Sector Had & Has. Present day Realities Are Much More Improved & Better. Therefore It Is Inappropriate To Talk Much About Those Vested Bygones.

“A Brand New Generator Serves For 5 / 6 Years”, Definitely When In The Hand Of People Like The Writer. The Ships Generators Are Mantained So Well By Qualified Marine Engineers That They Not Only Run The Whole Of Ships Life But Beyond, Which Is What The Ground Reality Is !

Talking About Import Of Scraps & Billets Which Consumes Five Times The Non-Replenishable Natural Resources At Its Birth, Can Only Substitute For Steel But Not Wood, Machineries, Electric Cables, Motors, Generators, Pipes, Raw Materials For The Building Of 90% Of Our Caostal Ships.

The Import Policy For Which The Writer Is Advocating Will Badly Strike & Shrink The Emploment Generation Of Huge Workforces, Thus Embarrass The Government’s Commitment, Goodwill & Political Agenda Of “One Employed In Every Family”.

If That’s What The Writer’s Aspiration & Will, Then It Could Be A Deep Routed Conspiracy Against The Government.

It Was The Outcome Of Eleven Institutions & Ministries Which Was Circulated By “Poribesh Shakha – 2” On 26/10/2006, Vide Letter Pa Bo Mo/Poribesh Shakha-2/Paper Clipping-2/2005/470, Ministry Of Environment, To Declare Ministry Of Shipping As Focal Ministry & Department Of Shipping As Focal Department For Ship Breaking & Recycling In Bangladesh.

Moreover, The United Nation’s Body Responsible For Maritime Affairs Is International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Only Specific International Mandatory Convention For Ship Breaking & Recycling Was Jointly Formulated By Basel, ILO, IMO & Government Representatives Of Member States In May 2009, Known As Hong Kong Convention. The Responsibility Of Global Implementation Of This Convention Was Given To Imo & Without Any Reservation Ministry Of Shipping Is The Focal Point Of Contact Of Imo World Wide.

The Following Will Show The Ship Breakings Contribution Nationally.

Statistics Of Ships Recycled:-

Year	Number	Weight (Metric Tons)
2000	73	8,92.756
2001	152	19,09,055
2002	84	15,19,735
2003	88	10,88,338
2004	145	13,33,667
2005	94	8,04,927
2006	187	13,20,170
2007	103	7,74,065
2008	172	16,60,212
2009	175	21,92,751
2010(Till May)	79	8,76,779

It Cannot Be Disputed That No Development Is Possible Without Some Adverse Effect On The Ecology And Environment, & Projects Of Public Utility Cannot Be Abandoned & It Is Necessary To Adjust The Interest Of The People As Well As The Necessity To Maintain The Environment. A Balance Has To Be Struck Between The Two Interests. Where The Commercial Venture Or Enterprise Would Bring In Results Which Are Far More Useful For The People, Difficulty Of A Small Number Of People Has To Be Bypassed. The Comparative Hardships Have To Be Balanced And The Convenience And Benefit To A Larger Section Of The People Has To Get Primacy Over Comparatively Lesser Hardship.

When We Apply The Principle Of Sustainable Development, We Need To Keep In Mind The Concept Of Development On One Hand And The Concepts Like Generation Of Revenue, Employment And Public Interest On The Other Hand. Today Ship-Breaking Provides Resources Not Only In Terms Of Steel But Also In Terms Of Employment, Skill And Capability.

Factual Inaccuracies Can Be Made By Those People Who Are Making Their Statements With Vested Interest, Living A Comfortable Life At The Expense Of Others Donation & By Them, Who Are Not Stepping Into Ground Realities.

Ignorance Must Have A Limit & Should Not Provoke To Destroy An Emerging Sector Like Ship Breaking Which For Sure Enormously Contributes To The National Growth.

Those Wishing To See The Whole System Cease Won’t Be Satisfied, No Matter What Is Done. One Just Wonders Why If They Were So Concerned About Welfare Among The Population Of Recyclers, They Couldn’t Do More To Help In The Provision Of Better Training, Develop Reception Facilities, Hospitals, Schools, General Sanitation And The Like, Rather Than Yelling From The Sidelines.

BELA, YPSA And Associates Are Extremely Well-Funded, Organized Camps And Have The Ability To Suddenly Change The Dynamics Of The Industry By Bringing Unilateral And Arbitrary Action, While The Players Are Sidetracked By Intense Market Activity And Nonchalance Towards The Agendas Of These Syndicated Groups Determined To Stop Ship Recycling Activities In Bangladesh.

Let Us Be Decisive Now On Following Agendas:-

• The Syndicated NGOs Who Are In A Plan To Destroy The Dream, Vision, Plans Of A Vibrant & Emerging Sector Like The Ship Breaking Should Be Taken To Task By The Government.

• Their Source Of Income, Funding & Revenue Return To The Government Should Be Under Thorough Scrutiny.

• Their Vested Affiliation & Representation In International Forums Which Is Detrimental To National Interest Should Be Thoroughly Monitored.

Source: Bangladesh Ship Breaking Association (BSBA) website.

http://www.bsba.org.bd/press.html