Leaders of iron and steel industries and trade bodies today urged the government for formulation of a coherent policy to help the ship recycling to grow as a viable sector addressing all environmental issues, reports BSS.
The industry, which developed over the years without any legal obligations but with economic importance, owe to dozen of laws creating the whole ship import and recycling process utmost difficult and complex, they said adding an integrated and environmentally coherent policy can help make the sector sustainable.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) organized the seminar titled “Problems and Prospects of Iron and Steel Industries: Bangladesh Perspective” at Federation Bhaban in the city.
Addressing the seminar as the chief guest, Industries Minister Dilip Barua said the government wants to develop shipbreaking as an environment friendly industry as the sector has already usurped huge prospect in the country’s economy.
State Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud attended the seminar as the special guest while FBCCI president AK Azad was in the chair.
Consultant of Bangladesh Steel Mill Owners Association Dr M Basir Ullah presented the keynote paper at the seminar while Technical Advisor of Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association Capt Salah Uddin Ahmed presented a separate paper on “Comprehensive Policy of Ship Recycling in Bangladesh
First vice president of the FBCCI Jasim Uddin, chairman of FBCCI standing committee on iron, steel, re-rolling and shipbreaking industry Mohammad Ali, chamber leader M Helal Uddin, addressed the function while FBCCI members related to the industry took part in the general discussion.
Dilip Barua said the government with the support of the UNDP has undertaken a plan to establish a training institute to train up the shipbreaking industry workers to avert accident at the time of ship dismantling.
All previous governments were completely inactive on growth of the industry, he said adding that the present government has taken up the responsibility and declared the shipbreaking as a thrust sector in its industrial policy.
State minister Dr Hasan Mahmud urged the shipbreakers and steel mill owners to extend their support to the initiative taken by the government for environment protection and abide by the court order in this regard.
He said the government has formulated waste management rules for scrap ships at the directives of the High Court. The rules will be finalized within weeks, he added.
He said the government is relentlessly making its efforts for sustainable development. The government is working on development and environment protection issues in consultation with all stakeholders, he said.
“The owners of the industries should think of environment,” he said noting that “the environment ministry is not adversary to industries; rather it wants to extend all support to make them environment friendly”.
In the open discussion, leaders of the iron and steel business appreciated the government’s declaring the ship breaking sector as an industry.
However, the thriving sector demands policy supports from the government to fulfill the demand of iron and steel against the backdrop of the country’s infrastructural growth, they said.
They criticized the role of some NGOs for their role in making people frustrated with the shipbreaking industry and said they are being guided by foreign vested groups who are against the growth of the industry in Bangladesh
Source: The News Today. 26 May 2011
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