Headed by the director general of the Shipping Department, the committee will correct the lacunas, cut out unnecessary provisions and then submit the draft to the ministry for approval.

Issues to be incorporated into the draft include specifying the authorities for approval of ship breaking activities and ensuring labour rights.

The decisions were taken yesterday at a meeting of the shipping ministry to finalise ship breaking policy.

Representatives from different ministries and departments, NGOs and the private sector participated in the meeting chaired by Shipping Secretary Sheikh Enayetullah.

The meeting recommended fixing responsibilities for enforcing the policy. It also asked Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies to formulate a guideline on labour protection to be incorporated in the policy.

A Chittagong University representative pointed out that the draft policy does not say anything about protection of marine fisheries, which is an important part of the ship breaking industry. He asked for its inclusion in the policy.

The government has prepared the draft policy on ship breaking, aiming to protect the environment and prevent accidents during ship breaking that claim many workers' lives every year.