Against a background of reports on the entry of potentially hazardous ships into Bangladesh, the High Court directive regarding a framing of rules relating to import of ships for purposes of scrapping is surely welcome. It is regrettable, though, that where the authorities should on their own have ensured that measures of safety relating to the entry of foreign ships were in place, it has now taken the higher judiciary to make it obligatory for the government to make certain that everything is in order. Be that as it may, we are happy to note that the High Court has clearly spelt out the details on the measures that must be taken about the entry of ships, especially in light of reports that vessels with clear toxic content have been making their way into the country.
It is to be noted that there are already six laws relating to the entry of vessels into Bangladesh's territorial waters. These laws should have served as an effective deterrent against the kind of threat the country is at this point faced with. Why these laws have been ignored or why they have not been observed in their totality in the broader interest of the country is a question that remains to be answered. But, of course, part of the answer lies in the fact of the HC's directive, which must been seen as complementary to the six existing laws. The HC move makes it mandatory for the government to frame new rules over the next three months over the issue of ship import. And with that comes the order for the formation of an expert committee, within the next one month, for the purpose of keeping a watch on ships, carrying in-built hazardous materials, making their way into the country's waters. The specifics regarding the committee have been made clear: it should comprise a meteorologist, a nuclear scientist, a chemical engineer, an environmental activist, an environmental lawyer, a journalist and a medical professional. In other words, the committee will have members who represent broad sections of society, especially in terms of how they are expected to keep tabs on potentially dangerous ships headed for Bangladesh. Let this committee be set up at the earliest, after a thorough study of the background and professional competence of those who will constitute it.
The HC's directive that no ship will be allowed entry into Bangladesh's waters unless there is the guarantee that it is free of hazardous materials makes sense. So does its belief that the government should not issue any ship importer with a 'no objection certificate' (NOC) unless a pre-cleaning certificate has been issued by the exporting country or any agency nominated by such country. Finally, there is the all-important caveat that the health of the labourers engaged in ship scrapping must be ensured.
It is our expectation that the action by the High Court will now logically lead to an improvement in the situation. Reports of the arrival of toxic ships in Bangladesh last week were naturally alarming. We will expect the authorities to have taken action against the ships and especially against those who failed to prevent the ships' entry into our waters. The bottom line is obvious: our coast and indeed our country must remain free of any health hazards emanating overseas.