Downgrading shipbreaking industry's status: BELA sends legal notice seeking cancellation

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) today sent a legal notice to the authorities concerned seeking cancellation of the downgraded status of the harmful shipbreaking industry in Chattogram from "red" to "orange".

The notice was sent to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, director general of Department of Environment (DoE), Ministry of Industries, its Labour and Employment wing, and Bangladesh Shipbreakers Association.

The DoE last month downgraded the status of the harmful industry from red to orange.

In the notice, BELA demanded that the authorities concerned make public the rationality behind the DoE order, and the process of scrutinising public opinion and its base.

READ MORE: Shipbreaking Industry Status: Orange from red; green overlooked

Earlier the shipbreaking industry was categorised as red, meaning it had to follow strict environmental compliance.

But the downgrade of the status would exempt the industry owners from environmental compliances.