The Basel Convention and Ship Decommissioning in the Economically Disadvantaged Nations: Bangladeshi Perspective

Bangladesh, the largest producer of steel from decommissioned ships, is the most dominant player in the global shipbreaking industry. However, managing hazardous waste generated from ship disposal remains a significant concern for the local and international communities. Bangladesh ratified both the relevant international treaties namely the Hong Kong Convention and the Basel Convention and incorporated their provisions in its domestic system. However, the country's waste management practices particularly at the downstream level are hindered by insufficient enforcement of the national waste policy, fragmented responsibilities for waste operators, generators, and transporters, and lack of technical guidelines and procedures. Using a comparative research methodology and a multimodal decision-making model namely the Analytical Hierarchy Process, this article attempts to single out laws and policies that need to be addressed by Bangladesh to fulfill its mandates under international laws, particularly the Basel Convention and effectively contribute to the sustainability in the global shipbreaking industry.