Shipbreaking industry sees 150 workers killed in 12 years

There was a time when Reshma Akter did not have to worry about household expenses. Her father, Mohammad Munsur, supported the family by working at a shipbreaking yard. But on 14 August, 21-year-old Reshma lost her father. Now, there is no one in the family who earns a living.

Reshma, who has completed higher secondary education, is also unemployed. She spends her days worrying about how the family will survive.

Reshma Akter is from Moulvipara of Bhatiari area in Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram. Her father, Munsur, 55, was one of the 10 workers who died from toxic gas at Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries. When they heard about the accident, Reshma and her family rushed to the factory. But they could not see her father. By then, he was being taken to hospital. They buried him that night.

The family has kept the Tk 1 million they received as compensation in savings, hoping to draw some money from it every month. But Reshma worries whether that will be enough to run the household. She laments, “My father is gone!”

Reshma's family is not alone. Over more than a decade, more than a hundred families have lost loved ones in accidents at shipbreaking yards in Sitakunda. Many others have suffered serious injuries and fallen into financial hardship.

Government inspections, accident records and research have repeatedly highlighted safety shortcomings. Yet workers continue to dismantle ships while putting their lives at risk.

When asked, Tapan Dutta, convener of the Shipbreaking Workers Trade Union Forum, told Prothom Alo that although laws exist to ensure workers' safety, they are not properly enforced. Accidents continue because the necessary protective equipment and training are not ensured.

Sani Das, 20, an assistant worker, also died in the same accident at Ferdous Steel. His elder brother, Liton Das, 25, used to work at a garment factory. However, he lost his job because he could not regularly attend work while arranging his brother's last rites and other related matters. He previously earned Tk 14,000 to Tk 15,000 a month. Now he is unemployed.

After Sani's death, their mother, Asra Bala Das, returned to work at a garment factory to support the family. She earns around Tk 13,500 a month. According to Liton, his mother's health has also deteriorated since her son's death. Her monthly medicine expenses range from Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500.

The family received Tk 1 million in compensation. After various expenses, Tk 500,000 to Tk 600,000 remains. Liton said, “We are now living on loans. I don't have a job either. My mother has started working at a garment factory again.”

At least 150 workers were killed and at least 264 injured in accidents at shipbreaking yards in Sitakunda over the 12 years from 2015 to mid-October 2026.

These figures were obtained through an analysis of records maintained by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), a labour research organisation.

According to BILS, 16 workers died in 2015, 18 in 2016, 19 in 2017, 13 in 2018 and a record 23 in 2019. Subsequently, 10 workers died in 2020, 13 in 2021, seven each in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and four in 2025. Three workers died in the first six months of the current year, while another 10 died at Ferdous Steel in August.

Similar accidents have been occurring at different yards year after year. In 2017, Khalilur Rahman died after falling from a height at Ferdous Steel. In 2018, Borhan Uddin was killed when struck by an iron plate at Premium Trade Corporation. The following year, three workers died in an explosion and fire at the same factory, while another three died from toxic gas at MAC Corporation.

In 2022, Md Faruk died while cutting a ship at HM Shipbreaking. In 2024, six workers were killed in an explosion and fire at SN Corporation.

The suffering of injured workers is no less severe. In 2019, worker Hiralal suffered a spinal fracture in an accident at MAC Corporation. In the same year, the flesh on worker Md Nasir's leg was torn away after he was struck by a heavy piece of iron at Janata Steel.

There is no comprehensive record of how many injured workers have recovered and returned to work or permanently lost their ability to work.

Dipu Das, who survived the accident at Ferdous Steel, said, “I had to receive treatment in hospital for three days. But I still haven't recovered from the trauma of the accident.”

Mohammad Mohsin Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), the leading organisation of shipbreaking industry owners, told Prothom Alo that initiatives had been taken to formulate new safety guidelines and establish training centres for workers following the accidents.

Of the 28 accidents documented by BILS in the first six months of the current year, nine involved workers being struck by heavy iron and machinery. Eight involved injuries caused by cranes, hooks and cables, while five involved gas and fire. Of the 25 injured workers, 10 sustained serious injuries.

A study on the risks of shipbreaking was published in the Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology on 18 June. The researchers collected information from 1,074 workers and supervisors at 18 shipbreaking yards.

The study identified 105 types of potential hazards associated with shipbreaking activities. These included 17 types of hazards in iron-cutting work, 14 in the removal of hazardous materials, and 12 each in dismantling machinery and removing oil waste. The researchers recommended regular training, protective equipment, supervision and the maintenance of accident records.

Md Mahbubul Hasan, deputy inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) in Chattogram, told Prothom Alo that government agencies lacked the capacity to oversee such a complex industry. Nevertheless, two to three yards are inspected every month. Notices are issued and cases filed when irregularities are found. Three cases have also been filed against Ferdous Steel.

According to the industry owners' association, 23 shipbreaking yards currently hold green certification. Ferdous Steel is also among the certified yards.

However, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments had found safety shortcomings at the yard six months before the accident. Following a notice, a case was filed with the Labour Court in July. The following month, 10 workers died.

An investigation by the Ministry of Industries also found serious negligence. Necessary protective equipment was not used for hazardous work. Although work continued on a holiday, there was no safety manager, physician or emergency rescue team. The investigation also found that a ship's tank had been declared safe without proper inspection.