EU for framing ship-breaking guidelines

Our Correspondent | Published: December 11, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

CHITTAGONG, Dec 10: A delegation of the European Union (EU) visited the PHP Ship Breaking Yard at Shitalpur in Sitakunda on Tuesday.
The EU team, during the visit, focused on formulation of some guidelines for the ship-breaking and ship-recycling industry, which, if properly implemented, can immensely benefit the sector.
They praised the working conditions at the PHP Ship Breaking Yard, stating that the yard could become an effective model for other ship-breaking yards of the country. If all the yards could achieve the standard of the PHP yard, negative perception of the international community regarding the sector would be removed, they observed.
Members of the delegation said the EU team had visited ship-breaking activities in Sitakunda a decade back. Since then the local ship-breaking industry had improved further.
Head of delegation and Member of European Parliament Jean Lambert said ship-breaking industry should grow to its full potentials, if Bangladesh wants to become a middle-income country, and the growth should be environment-friendly.
Other members of the delegation were EU Ambassador in Bangladesh Pieree Mayunden, EU official Ponam Dater, and EU consultant for Bangladesh Government Zillul Hai.
PHP Ship Yard managing director Zahirul Islam briefed the EU delegation members about activities of ship-breaking and recycling.
Later the team visited the PHP Group head-office in Agrabad, where its chairman Sufi Mizanur Rahman and director Md Ali Hossain welcomed them.
The EU delegation also inspected activities in Chittagong Port.