The ship, SS Noway, was learnt to be staying near Port Kalang in Malaysia.

Bangladesh Ship Breakers Association (BSBA) and Green Peace sources said the SS Norway, built in 1962, is laden with more than one thousand metric tons of objects of different categories, including toxic asbestos. Besides, there is a possibility of huge poisonous gases stored in ship's cabins.

Divisional Director of the Department of Environment (DoE), Chittagong, Mosharraf Hossain, when contacted, said it issued a letter to the buyer of the scrapped ship yesterday, cautioning him not to bring it into Bangladesh.

Principle Officer of the Mercantile Marine Department (POMMD) Captain Habibur Rahman told the news agency that he had learnt that the vessel was staying at a place near Port Kelang in Malaysia.

Haji Lokaman Hossain, the owner of Subed Ship Breaking Yard, had procured the vessel from international market at an unusually lower price than current international price level to dismantle it at country's only scrapped ship breaking yard at Sitakunda.

In the wake of globally circulated red alert by the Green Peace, the leading environmentalist organisation, warning about grievous consequences regarding the cargoes the dead vessel was carrying, a serious concern has developed among the public and private organisations in port and shipping sectors here.

"Shipping administration is fully aware of it and is constantly monitoring the movement of the vessel. I had put up the matter before the director general of Mercantile Marine Department today," Captain Habib said, adding that a proper investigation will be carried out.

The matter also came up for discussion at a meeting of the Port Facility Security Organisations held at Chittagong Port Bhaban yesterday and it was decided to keep a close eye on the issue, meeting sources said.

"We also informed the coast guard, customs and Chittagong Port Authority requesting them to take proper steps so that it could not enter and anchor anywhere in the country," DoE's Mosharraf Hossain said.

Jafar Alam, President of the BSBA, said they had unanimously endorsed a decision at a meeting of the association last month not to buy the vessel considering the country's greater interest after getting red alert circular from the Green Peace.

Environmentalists as well as officials apprehend that environment at coasts and health of labourers involved in dismantling work may affect seriously if the dead vessel is cut here.