[0:06]Bangladesh is one of the largest shipbreaking country in the world. In last 20 years the global shipping company has expanded their business because of huge global trade, and they have increased the number of ships a lot. But after 25 to 30 years of those ships, they needs to be recycled. Shipbreaking is happening because Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries, workers are really cheap here, and environmental standard are also very, very low. In Bangladesh they break 150 to 200 ships per year. But this year they are going to break more ships because there are more single hull oil tankers available in the international market. The first thing they do, they drive the ship on the shore. Then they start to cut the ship. Later, when the water goes down, they pull the big plate with the winch machine to the shore. Then they cut in a small pieces, so that they can send it to the factories to turn it to a rebar. When the ships are coming, it's bringing all those toxic hazardous waste with it, and all those poor workers who doesn't have any skill are forced to break the ships. And they don't have any training, they don't have any precaution, they don't have any safety equipments with them. Asbestos is everywhere, and it's not only asbestos it's there are some toxic fumes, the gases, barn oils. So think that the workers who is working for 16 hours a day, how can he feel? After shipbreaking all day, I feel bad in my eyes, pain in my chest, pain in my back, and pain in my body. There is no fun in the shipbreaking yard, there is only danger. If you look away for one second you may get injured. The three main job of shipbreaking, that is cutter group, steel carrier group, and the wire carrier group. The most dangerous work is the cutting of ships from the inside, because there are toxic gases or flammable substances contain inside the ship. So when the cutting man touched the fire, it touched with the gases, so it makes huge explosion, which kills several workers at a time. So all these are pushing the workers in a very dangerous situation, and because of that, every year so many workers are dying. In 2012, 15 worker died, in 2011, 15 worker died. I have been breaking ships for 14 years now. My father was killed in a shipbreaking accident. The only thing I'm afraid of in the yard is death itself. I know this is dangerous work, and I am afraid because I have two children and a family.
[3:47]Our main goal for a environment friendly shipbreaking is to ensure the removal of all the toxic materials from the ships before it's arrival in our country, and also shipbreaking should be off the beach. Sea is not for a dirty and dangerous industry like this. We ask ourself, is it the end of this dirty business? Whatever it is, we will keep our voice raised as like before, and we know that we have long way to go.
