The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined a ship-breaking yard at Sonaichhari under Sitakunda upazila Tk 7 lakh for ignoring workers’ safety and environmental pollution.
A team led by DoE Director (Enforcement) Munir Chowdhury fined Messrs Sultana Ship-Breaking. This is the first time a ship-breaking yard was penalised.
Munir said one worker was killed and four others were injured in a fire on July 12 while cutting an oil tanker of a ship at the ship-breaking yard.
According to the certificate of the explosives department, the ship was not free from petroleum substances, which was risky for workers, he said. “The yard pollutes air of the area through burning oily substances”.
“During the investigation, we found that there were no safety measures for workers at the ship-breaking yard and facilities for rescuing injured workers immediately after an incident,” he said.
Meanwhile, a mobile court fined two baked vermicelli producers Tk 30,000 for producing vermicelli in an unhygienic condition.
Both the companies, however, have licence from Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).
The mobile court led by magistrate Kulapradip Chakma fined the firms, Metro Lachcha Semai and Mens’ Corporation, at East Muhur Para. A team of Detective Branch of police led by Assistant Commissioner Hasan Chowhdury and BSTI officials assisted the mobile court.
