Ship recycling industry key to economy, employment: Muktadir

Bangladesh is stepping up efforts to transform its ship recycling industry into a safer, more environmentally responsible and internationally competitive sector, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Speaking during a meeting with a JICA delegation at the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday, Commerce and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said the ship recycling industry remains an important pillar of the country’s economy and has significant potential to generate employment while supporting wider industrial development.

He said the government wants to build a modern industry that meets global standards for safety, environmental protection and operational efficiency.

The minister noted that ship recycling has become one of Bangladesh’s key industrial sectors by supplying recycled steel and other materials to domestic manufacturing industries while providing employment for thousands of workers across the country.

To secure the industry’s long-term future, the government has identified four priority areas for reform. These include improving workplace health and safety, strengthening environmental safeguards, adopting modern technologies and streamlining regulatory approval procedures.

Muktadir said JICA’s ongoing ship recycling project is helping Bangladesh move towards these objectives by assessing ship recycling facilities, providing training for industry stakeholders and preparing updated operational guidelines.

The programme is also supporting the certification of Ship Recycling Facility Plans (SRFPs) and improving the approval process for Ship Recycling Plans (SRPs), which are measures aimed at bringing the sector closer to international best practice.

As part of wider reforms, the government is developing an online one-stop service platform designed to simplify administrative procedures and speed up approvals for businesses operating in the industry.

The minister also outlined the government’s broader industrial strategy, saying small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would receive greater access to technology, skills training and capacity-building programmes to help them participate in global supply chains.

He said strengthening the capabilities of local businesses remains a key objective and expressed confidence that continued cooperation with JICA would improve the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s industrial sector.

JICA’s Chief Representative in Bangladesh, Takahashi Junko, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting the development of a ship recycling industry that complies with international environmental and occupational safety standards.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board also attended the meeting, where both sides discussed ongoing collaboration to support the sector’s modernisation and sustainable growth.