DHAKA: Bangladesh has once again become the top ship recycling country with more than half of the world’s ships recycled here, according to a report of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).
In the 12 months to January 2022, Bangladesh recycled 8.02 million tonnage of ships accounting for 52.4% of the world total, of which nearly 57% were oil tankers, 25% bulk carriers and 9% liquefied gas carriers, said the report titled “Review of Maritime Transport 2022” published on 29 November.
At the same period of the previous year, around 54% of the world’s oil tankers, 18.4% of bulk carriers and about 5% of liquefied gas carriers were recycled in Bangladesh, reads the annual flagship report.
In 2021, Bangladesh with Pakistan, India, and Türkiye, accounted for 96% of the world’s ship recycling.
Bangladesh’s contributions to shipbreaking increased by around 20% in 2021 compared to the previous year, while the global shipbreaking amount declined by 12% to 15.3 million tonnage.
The report mentioned some factors responsible for the decline in global ship recycling volume such as limits on imports of vessels on letters of credit to protect foreign reserves in some countries including Bangladesh and Pakistan, and the Covid-19 restrictions.