Skilled manpower, expert shortages challenge Bangladesh's green ship-breaking transition

Infographic: TBS

Bangladesh's ship-breaking industry, which has led the global market for the past nine years, is now grappling with significant challenges as it strives to comply with international environmental standards. 

Following the government's ratification of the Hong Kong Convention in 2023, the industry must meet these standards by June 2025. 

However, a shortage of skilled workers and technical experts, combined with financial struggles, is making this transition difficult.

Despite its past success, transforming the ship-breaking industry into a green and sustainable sector has proven to be a tough task. 

In the last seven years, only four ship-breaking yards in Bangladesh have received green certifications from international bodies, signifying compliance with strict environmental and safety standards. 

However, even these certified yards are struggling to find skilled professionals capable of managing their operations in line with these standards.

The urgency of the problem became clear after a tragic incident at the green-certified SN Corporation shipyard on 7 September. A devastating explosion critically injured 12 workers, three of whom later died. Five others remain in critical condition at Dhaka Medical College's Burn Unit. 

This incident raised serious safety concerns across the industry, even in certified yards.

Entrepreneurs who have invested in developing green yards are now facing financial difficulties, particularly in terms of developing infrastructure and importing heavy equipment. 

Even those who have managed to secure funding are finding it difficult to hire skilled professionals who can operate the yards in compliance with international environmental and safety standards.

Nur Uddin Rubel, chairman of Arav Ship Recycling Industry, outlined the challenges his company is facing. 

"We have made significant progress over the last two years, with nearly 80% of the required infrastructure in place to meet green certification standards. However, we still need key experts to run the yard following international protocols," Rubel explained. 

He added that due to the shortage of experts, his company is relying on external consultants. "This is not a long-term solution. We need full-time skilled professionals, but they are not available at the moment," he said. 

Rubel also noted that his company had imported a 200-tonne capacity crane, but they were yet to find an experienced operator to handle the heavy equipment.

Zahirul Islam Rinku, managing director of PHP Ship Recycling Industry and vice president of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), described similar issues. 

"We developed our yard with local expertise, but converting it into a green yard was a difficult process. We sent our staff to Europe and India for training in environmentally friendly ship recycling methods," Rinku said. 

He noted that it took ten years for his yard to meet the standards set by the Hong Kong Convention, but the shortage of trained workers remains a significant problem.

To address this issue, the government has established a training centre for ship-breaking workers in northern Bangladesh. 

However, Rinku believes that this facility is too far from the shipyards, which are concentrated in Chattogram. 

"It's not practical for us to send workers to such a distant location for training. The training centre should be closer to the yards," he says.

Industry experts echo these concerns. 

Muhammad Ali Shahin, a senior official at Young Power in Social Action, has been working with the ship-breaking industry for over 20 years on labour rights and safety. He said, "Recycling ships in compliance with the Hong Kong Convention requires internationally trained marine engineers, but there are very few such experts in Bangladesh." 

Shahin added that the consultants working with shipyards are often overburdened with multiple projects. "They can provide plans, but they cannot always be present during the implementation phase due to their workload." 

Shahin also highlighted the lack of safety training for workers. "There is a serious need for motivational education and safety training for workers who perform hazardous tasks in the yards," he said.

Dr Shah Mohammad Helal Uddin, additional secretary of the Ministry of Industries, who is leading the investigation into the explosion at SN Corporation yard, said there are still technical and managerial gaps in green-certified yards. 

"The industry must develop expertise and a skilled workforce to ensure that the yards are 100% safe for both the environment and the workers," he added. 

Dr Helal Uddin also said if the BSBRA submits a formal proposal, the government could take the initiative to establish a training institute for ship-breaking workers.