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NGOs applaud Bangladesh stance on recycling
(Feb  25  2010)

Non-governmental organisations (NGO) have applauded Bangladesh for implementing a High Court Order banning toxic ships from entering the country to be recycled.

Now all vessels destined for breaking in Bangladesh must have a certificate from the exporting country proving that they are toxic-free.

This measure was aimed at improving the current disastrous environmental and safety standards of the shipbreaking yards in Chittagong and is the result of a long legal battle fought by BELA, a member of the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking in Bangladesh.

The NGOs said that they have now called on the European Union to urgently take effective steps to stop the export of European toxic ships to developing countries.

On 26th January 2010, the Ministry of Commerce ordered the Bangladeshi Customs to stop the import of any obsolete vessel that had not been pre-cleaned of toxic materials, such as asbestos, heavy metals and PCBs.

Ten ships have been barred from entering since the policy has come into effect, the NGOs said.

“Pre-cleaning is one of the solutions to stop toxic ships from being dumped in poor countries like Bangladesh and in ensuring the protection of our coastal environment from the pollution generated by shipbreaking”, explained Muhammed Ali, local co-ordinator of the NGO Platform.

He added that this measure will ensure the safety of the workers that, until now, had cleaned the pollutants with their bare hands.

In Bangladesh, 26 workers were reported to have died in explosions at shipbreaking yards last year, or by being crushed by metal plates.

Local NGOs estimated the number to be much higher as there are still no official records kept - many also die inhaling toxic fumes, or of cancers due to asbestos exposure.

The Platform has also urged India and Pakistan to take similar action.

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