Dhaka, Dec 15 (bdnews24.com) — The High Court has prohibited scrap ships from entering the country until its previous verdict is implemented.
The bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mohammad Jakir Hossain directed the government on Wednesday to formulate a ship-breaking policy within three months, following a petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
The government was also ordered to form a powerful committee with specialists within a month.
The court order said that no scrap ships will be allowed in Bangladesh waters without ensuring public health safety and the previously issued verdict will have to be followed literally.
BELA filed a petition on Sunday with the court to issue an order for policy implementation in line with the court's verdicts on and after March 17, 2009.
Syeda Rezwana Hasan, arguing for BELA in the hearing, alleged that the government did not follow the court's verdicts to make the policy on risky waste management.
Citing that the court ordered to prepare the policy in line with six acts, she said the draft policy was not sufficient.
The six acts were - Basel Convention 1989, Environment Preservation Act 1995, Environment Preservation Rules 1997, Labour Act 2006, Marine Fisheries Act 1980 and Territorial Water Management Act 1974.
Rafiq-ul-Haque, Rokonuddin Mahmud, Anisul Haque and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh represented the Ship Breaking Association in the hearing.
The court ordered the Department of Environment (DOE) on March 17, 2009 to shut down ship breaking yards that did not have environment license within two weeks.
The court prohibited import of scrap ships listed hazardous by environment organisation Green Peace before collecting proper information on the ship.
It also ordered to check whether Bangladesh had proper structure to scrap such ship and handle the wastage.
The government was ordered to ensure cleanout of the hazardous wastage of the scrap ships before entering the country.
The court also ordered to ensure the workers' safety.
In Sep, 2008, BELA filed a petition challenging the entry of M T Enterprise, a ship listed hazardous by Green Peace.
Bangladesh refused to allow two other ships M T Alpha and S S Norway, also listed by Green Peace, to enter the country that time.
A DOE report on Dec 11, 2008, said the 36 ship breaking yards of the country did not even apply for the license of the department. They were marked as 'Very Risky' firms.
The department issued license to 16 ship yards afterwards.
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