Ship Breaking in Bangladesh

YES TO SHIP BREAKING - NO TO RIGHTS VIOLATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Ship Breaking or ship recycling is the process of dismantling an obsolete vessel’s structure for scrapping or disposal, conducted on a dismantling yard. It involves a wide range of activities from removing all the gear and equipment that are on the ships to cutting down and recycling the ship’s infrastructure. Ship breaking is a challenging process, due to the structural complexity of the ships and the environmental, safety and health issues involved.

Ship Breaking In News

Legal Camp: Empowering Workers Through Legal Awareness and Rights Education

In the shipbreaking industry, many workers are unaware of their legal rights and fair wage entitlements. Frequently, workers face illegal layoffs, low wages, and unprofessional treatment in the yards. Workers often perform their tasks without understanding the terms of their labor, such as working hours, entitlements to fair wages, and overtime compensation. Additionally, many are unaware of the legal steps to take when their rights are violated, such as unjust layoffs or unpaid wages. To address these critical gaps in …Read More

YPSA’s Training of Trainers Program: Ensuring Safe Cutting Practice in Shipbreaking Yards

YPSA has organized eight TOTs on Safe handling of asbestos for the ship recycling workers of Bangladesh. YPSA successfully trained 200 workers on the safe cutting practice by conducting eight comprehensive training sessions across various shipbreaking yards. This one of the unique and first ever activities of such kinds by NGOs like YPSA. YPSA with the collaboration of BSBRA (Owner’s Association) have been organizing these TOTs for developing the capacities of the workers in line with the national and international …Read More

Health Campaign: Ensuring Medical Support for Workers in High-Risk Shipbreaking Activities

In the shipbreaking industry, certain tasks—such as asbestos removal and ship dismantling—are among the most hazardous. Asbestos is a fibrous material that, when inhaled, can become permanently lodged in the lungs. Prolonged exposure can lead to life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. In addition to these serious conditions, workers often suffer from skin diseases, allergies, and respiratory issues due to continuous exposure to toxic substances and harsh environmental conditions. Given the dangerous nature of their work, shipbreaking …Read More

Ship breakers seek govt steps to extend time by five years.

They also called on the government to re-categorize the industry to orange from existing red, saying that they need an additional 2-3 months to get cutting permission from the environment ministry only for this categorization. The industry stakeholders raised the demands at a roundtable titled ‘Challenges and Possibilities of Ship Recycling in Bangladesh’, organised by Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA) at a city hotel. Former commerce minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Norway Ambassador in Dhaka Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen …Read More

Awareness Campaigns: Promoting Occupational Health, Safety, and Empowerment in the Shipbreaking Industry

Raising awareness among shipbreaking workers is a vital part of YPSA’s Green Ship Recycling Project. Located along the coastal belt of Sitakunda in Chattogram, the shipbreaking industry employs thousands of workers in one of the world’s most labor-intensive and hazardous sectors. The nature of the work—such as dismantling heavy steel structures and handling toxic substances—demands a high level of awareness about occupational health and safety (OHS). YPSA organizes regular awareness campaigns aimed at enhancing workers’ understanding of their health and …Read More

Cultural Events: Promoting Mental Wellbeing Through Music, Performance, and Professional Support

Shipbreaking workers endure long hours of physically demanding and hazardous work, often from early morning until evening. Recognizing the crucial link between mental wellbeing and overall worker engagement, YPSA believes that fostering emotional health through recreational and cultural activities is essential for improving workers’ confidence, morale, and productivity. In addition to providing healthcare services, YPSA organizes folk music programs as part of its comprehensive approach to worker welfare. These events feature live performances by local folk artists, offering workers a …Read More

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Research Reports

Child breaking Yard cover pageEnd of life ship cover pageImpact Costal Zone cover pageBaseline survey cover page
Logo of YPSA Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) is a non-profit organization for sustainable development started in 1985 (UN International Youth Year). YPSA is registered with the different departments of the people’s republic of Bangladesh. YPSA has been implementing various development programs as per the community needs , monitor and advocate the issues related to ship braking industries. From 1997 YPSA tries to obtain improved working conditions at ship breaking yards of Chittagong, Bangladesh. YPSA organized social campaign program to raise the voice of the mass people about ensuring of the workers’ rights and save the environment and ecology from the pollution that generated from the unsafe and uncontrolled ship breaking practices. YPSA has also been implementing regular policy advocacy to influence the policy makers for taking necessary measures and formulate policy and strategy to conduct ship breaking in a safe and environment friendly way.