On the opening day of the 12th National SME Product Fair 2025, visitors entering booth F-006 encountered something unexpected among the displays of local innovation, handcrafted goods, and emerging technologies. The Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board (BSRB) had stepped into the seven-day fair with a clear message: Bangladesh is ready to be seen not merely as a low-cost ship-breaking destination but as a responsible, globally aligned leader in safe and green ship recycling. The conversations at the booth-among policymakers, academicians, industry leaders, and young innovators-captured a spirit of confidence, sustainability, and ambition. They also signaled a timely moment to reassess the nation's trajectory in a global market that is changing faster than ever.
For decades, Bangladesh has been a dominant force in ship recycling, with the yards of Sitakunda and Kumira supplying a large share of the country's steel requirements. Yet this success has also been accompanied by persistent criticisms. Environmental groups, international shipping companies, and global watchdogs have repeatedly pointed to hazardous working conditions, inadequate waste management, and coastal pollution. These concerns remain relevant. The absence of modern infrastructure-including dry docks, slipways, dredged channels, and specialised waste-treatment facilities-means that many operations continue to rely on outdated, beach-based methods. As global environmental standards tighten, Bangladesh's traditional cost-based advantage is no longer enough.
Recent coverage in The Financial Express underscores the urgency of this transition. Industry data show that Bangladesh imported far fewer ships for recycling in recent years-130 ships in 2024 compared to 170 in 2023, and only 57 ships in the first half of 2025. This decline reflects global market dynamics as well as growing preference among major shipping lines, such as Maersk and CMA-CGM, for destinations compliant with the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) and EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Additionally, only a small number of Bangladeshi yards-so far seven-have secured Statements of Compliance (SoC) under the HKC, not the 17 commonly cited in public discussions. While several more yards are reportedly progressing towards certification, the number of fully compliant yards remains limited.
This context highlights why BSRB's participation at the SME fair was significant. By referring to itself as the "guardian of safe and green ship recycling," the Board showcased ongoing efforts to guide yards towards international standards. However, recent reporting also reveals that certification alone is not a guarantee of flawless performance-some compliant yards have experienced accidents or temporarily lost environmental clearance. The transition toward safe and green practices is, therefore, both necessary and fragile, requiring consistent oversight and sustained investment.
Infrastructure remains the critical bottleneck. Modern, contained, and technologically advanced recycling facilities are not optional luxuries-they are prerequisites for global competitiveness. The example of India's Alang Ship Recycling Yard demonstrates how investment, regulation, and modernisation can transform industry reputation. Bangladesh has the opportunity to surpass these benchmarks. With its strategic coastal location, experienced workforce, and central role in the steel supply chain, the country is well positioned to establish next-generation recycling zones equipped with dry docks, ship lifts, contained workspaces, and certified hazardous waste facilities. But the recent FE article makes clear that the financial burden of such upgrades is heavy. Green and sustainable financing in Bangladesh has slowed significantly in 2024-25, creating a funding gap just as the industry's modernisation needs peak.
This is where Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) become essential. By bringing government, recyclers, steel manufacturers, banks, and global green-finance institutions under one framework, PPPs can deliver the capital, technical expertise, and operational discipline necessary for transformation. Well-structured PPPs can embed incentives for compliance, worker safety, and environmental stewardship-ensuring standards are not only mandated but economically viable. International partners, too, are more likely to invest when they see coordinated national commitment and strong institutions like BSRB at the centre.
Yet modernisation is not just about infrastructure and certification. Regulatory enforcement, skilled workforce development, and robust monitoring mechanisms must accompany physical upgrades. Bangladesh may be a signatory to the Hong Kong Convention, but effective implementation on the ground remains uneven. Clear guidelines, strict enforcement, and penalties for violations are essential. BSRB can play a pivotal role here: maintaining a national registry of compliant yards, overseeing training programs, guiding hazardous waste handling, and serving as the bridge between global standards and local operations.
The benefits of a modern, green ship recycling industry are significant. Ship recycling contributes to the circular economy, supports SMEs, feeds the steel industry, and aligns with Bangladesh's wider maritime and blue-economy ambitions. A safer, cleaner, and more efficient industry would generate higher-quality jobs and reduce environmental degradation, positioning Bangladesh as a trusted global partner rather than a low-cost last resort.
This is why the timing of BSRB's showcase at the SME fair matters. It reflects a shifting mindset-from shipbreaking as a hazardous necessity to ship-recycling as a strategic national strength rooted in sustainability, safety, and global compliance. But recent financial and market realities, as highlighted by The Financial Express, remind us that this transformation will not be easy. It requires not only ambition but also financing, coordination, and unwavering policy commitment.
Bangladesh's current position in the global recycling market cannot be preserved through low-cost operations alone. The future belongs to countries that invest in green modernisation and align fully with international norms. Bangladesh has the experience, workforce, and economic incentives to lead-but only if modernisation efforts are matched with strong institutions, accessible financing, and consistent enforcement.
The moment is right, but the window is narrowing. With bold reforms, strategic investments, and a coordinated national approach, Bangladesh can still emerge as a global leader in safe and green ship recycling-moving from one of the most criticised industries to one of the most admired, and doing so with responsibility, pride, and a clear vision for a sustainable maritime future.
Ahamedul Karim Chowdhury, port shipping & logistics strategist and industry Analyst. Former Head of ICD Kamalapur & Pangaon ICT, CPA; Adjunct Faculty, Bangladesh Maritime University. akccpa@gmail.com