Bangladesh HC rules in favor of shipbreaking industry:

In a judgment on March 7th 2011, the Bangladesh High Court has granted temporary permission to Bangladesh shipbreaking yard owners to resume importing ships for breaking on the beaches near Chittagong, Bangladesh.

This temporary lifting of the beaching ban for toxic ships was taken as the Supreme Court still needs to rule on the pre cleaning of toxic ships and frame the rules that will apply to shipbreaking, reports the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

The High Court ruled in March 2009 that only toxic waste free ships would be able to lawfully enter Bangladesh due to that country’s obligations as Party to the Basel Convention, which places strict controls on all imports of hazardous waste. In August 2010, the Court once again reaffirmed its judgment and most ship breaking then came to a stand still.

In January and February, the Bangladesh Shipbreakers Association went to court to allow the import of ships for breaking.

Source: SteelGuru. Tuesday, 08 Mar 2011

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Bangladesh_HC_rules_in_favor_of_ship_breaking_industry/194706.html