SIFAYET ULLAH, Ctg

Cutter-man Sahab Uddin died after falling from a scrap ship at a shipbreaking yard in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila on May 29 last year.

He fell while cutting an iron plate without a safety belt at Four-Star shipbreaking yard.

“We were working without safety belts as the yard owner didn’t provide us with any gear. Sahab would not have died if he had been wearing a belt,” said Mohammed Ali, a colleague of the deceased.

In 2023, there were 35 accidents in the shipbreaking sector, resulting in seven deaths and 28 injuries, according to reports from several government and non-governmental organisations.

Workers continue to be killed or injured by explosions, falls, falling objects, and burns due to the absence of proper safety equipment and unsafe working conditions.

The recent explosion at SN Corporation’s yard in Shitalpur on Saturday which killed one so far and injured 11 others further highlight the persistent lack of safety measures in the sector.

Tapan Dutta, convener of the Shipbreaking Workers’ Trade Union Forum, said, “Most shipyard owners are still not providing safety equipment to workers, putting their lives at risk.”

Shipbreaking yards in Chattogram span a 10km stretch along the seashore in Sitakunda and Mirsarai.

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