The Bangladesh Ship Breakers’ Association and the Association of Bankers Bangladesh have signed a joint statement to improve the country’s environmental and social standards in the ship recycling industry, said a press release on Sunday.
The BSBA president Hefazatur Rahman and the ABB vice president Ali Reza Iftekhar signed the statement.
The press release said that the signing had followed a successful roundtable meeting held in June, in which several high officials of the local banks, government officials and international experts attended.
The roundtable was organised by Eastern Bank Ltd in cooperation with the Netherlands and German embassies.
Besides, the Dutch development bank, FMO, the German development bank, DEG, the French development bank, Proparco, and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group also cooperated in organising the roundtable.
Reacting to the joint statement, additional secretary of the industries ministry, on behalf of the minister, said that the joint statement was a positive step in bringing about long-term changes in an industry that contributed to the economic growth of the country.
FMO’s chief investment officer Jurgen Rigterink said that he was pleased to see both associations joining forces to concretely ensure higher environmental and social standards in the ship recycling industry. ‘The signing of this commitment statement is a clear testimony to that effect. It is also a good example of how development finance institutions and local partners can work together to catalyze sustainable change.’
The Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lilianne Ploumen said that it was great to see trade relations between Bangladesh and The Netherlands intensifying, the press release said.
The challenge is to make this growth more sustainable and beneficial to everybody involved, including the workers that provide the heavy labour, he said.
-With New Age input
