Govt addresses challenges of shipbreaking industry

Says industries secretary

OUR CORRESPONDENT | Published: December 15, 2025 00:57:16

CHATTOGRAM, Dec 14: Secretary of the Ministry of Industries Mohammad Obaidur Rahman said the government is working to resolve the longstanding challenges faced by the shipbreaking industry through policy support and capacity-building initiatives.
He made the remarks while inaugurating the office of the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board (BSRB) in Chattogram as the chief guest today (Sunday).
"The ship recycling industry has been facing several challenges for years. The government is addressing those issues and is also working to strengthen the industry's capacity," he said.
Referring to industry demands, the secretary said shipbreaking yard owners had long sought one-stop services for licenses and approvals.
"With the opening of the BSRB office in Chattogram, that demand has been met. Entrepreneurs will no longer need to travel to Dhaka for approvals," he said.
He pledged full government support to make the board's operations effective, including the appointment of necessary manpower. He also urged industry owners to ensure environmentally friendly and compliant ship recycling, noting that Bangladesh must retain its top position in the global ship recycling industry.
The event was chaired by ASM Shafiul Alam Talukdar, director general of the BSRB.
SM Ferdous Alam, director general of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), attended it as special guest.
Additional Industry Secretary Mohammad Firoz Uddin and Acting President of Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA) Amzad Hossain Chowdhury also spoke at the function.
Formed in 2018 to regulate and develop the ship recycling sector, the BSRB has remained largely inactive for nearly seven years due to the absence of appointed officials.
Its operations gained momentum in March this year following the appointment of a director general and two deputy directors.
Given that ship recycling activities are concentrated in Sitakunda, authorities decided to establish the board's office in Chattogram instead of continuing operations from the Ministry of Industries in Dhaka.
Until now, board officials had been operating from a single room at the ministry.
Nearly ten months after becoming functional, the regulator has now set up its own office on the eighth floor of the newly constructed BSTI building near Jamburi Field in Agrabad. About 18,000 square feet of space has been rented for the board's operations.
BSRB Director General ASM Shafiul Alam Talukdar said that once the office becomes fully operational, at least 29 types of licenses, approvals and renewals related to ship import, dismantling and yard operations will be processed directly from Chattogram.
"Previously, entrepreneurs had to rush to Dhaka for most approvals. That will no longer be necessary," he said.