Bangladesh ship graveyard coordinates. How it's made, how it works, how it works. shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh

Chittagong (Bangladesh) is one of the largest ship recycling centers in the world. Not surprising. In Bangladesh, they didn’t care about environmental standards. The wage level here is one of the lowest in the world. There are practically no labor safety standards in this country.

According to various estimates, from 30 to 50 thousand people are directly employed in the “cutting” of ships that have exhausted their service life. About 100 thousand more people are indirectly related to this area.

A worker earns about 1-3 dollars per day depending on the type of work. Ship dismantling is a very dangerous and unhealthy job. Workers must work with asbestos, which was used as insulation on old ships, and with paint that contains lead, cadmium and arsenic compounds. Imagine, previously 7-8 tons of asbestos were used to insulate a large-tonnage ship, and 10-100 tons of lead paint were used to paint it. It is not uncommon for workers to die from gas poisoning or as a result of explosions and fires. Workers often die from falling steel beams and fragments of the ship's hull. Over the past 30 years, 1000-2000 workers have died from accidents. Thousands of workers were seriously injured.

We present photographs of Jan Møller Hansen, who visited Chittagong in February 2012.

Most of the world's ships end their lives in southern Asia.

Chittagong, the second largest city in Bangladesh, is one of the main centers for the dismantling of large ships.
The dismantling sites occupy approximately ten to twenty kilometers of flat sandy shore.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Decommissioned ships began arriving in Chittagong in 1969. By now, 180-250 ships are dismantled in Chittagong every year.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

The dismantling work is carried out almost entirely with bare hands under extremely difficult conditions.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Thousands of people manually dismantle metal housings, route cables and remove rivets.
Most of this material is recycled back into construction steel.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Using only autogen, sledgehammers and wedges, workers cut out huge pieces of sheathing. After these fragments collapse like glacier calving, they are dragged ashore and cut into small pieces weighing hundreds of pounds.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

The cutting of the ship continues from 7:00 to 23:00 by one team of workers with two half-hour breaks, and an hour for breakfast (they have dinner after returning home at 23:00). Total - 14 hours a day, 6-1/2 day work week (half a day on Friday free, according to Islamic requirements).
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

The metal will be sold at a huge profit for the owners who live in luxurious mansions in the city.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Giant ships are dismantled almost by hand. Tools include hammers, wedges, autogen.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Screw.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Chittagong is one of the dirtiest places in the world. When dismantling ships, engine oils are drained directly onto the shore, and lead waste remains there - for example, the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) for lead here is exceeded by 320 times, the maximum permissible concentration for asbestos is 120 times.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

80% of the ship dismantling business in Chittagong is controlled by American, German and Scandinavian companies - the scrap metal is then sent to these same countries.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

In monetary terms, the dismantling of ships in Chittagong is estimated at 1-1.2 billion dollars a year; in Bangladesh, 250-300 million dollars remain from this amount in the form of salaries, taxes and bribes to local officials.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Sunset in the Bay of Bengal.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Colossus.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

The ship graveyard in Chittagong is a closed area for photographers. The truth about Chittagong has a negative impact on the image of the country and the authorities.

In the photo: Worker.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

In Chittagong, about 30-50 thousand people work in ship dismantling. About 20% of them are children aged 10-14 years. They are the lowest paid workers, receiving an average of $1.5 per day.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Minor worker
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Dozens of Soviet ships were dismantled in Chittagong after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

The shacks where ship graveyard workers and their families live stretch 8-10 km inland. The area of this “city” is about 120 square kilometers, and up to 1.5 million people live in it.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

The working day in Chittagong has come to an end.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

Children, women and old people are involved in dismantling ships.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

A minor laborer in Chittagong.
Photo: Jan Møller Hansen

The city of Chittatong in Bangladesh is known not only as a major port and administrative center. There is also a center for the recycling of end-of-life marine vessels.

Chittagong - ship graveyard

In South Asia, the tiny territory known as the People's Republic of Bangladesh is home to more than 160 million people. Bangladesh has been a dependent country for a long time. The British Empire has had a significant influence on the lives of the people of this region over the past few centuries. It was not until 1971 that the independence of Bangladesh was declared.

Chittagong is a city in Bangladesh and a center for the recycling of ships - a “ship graveyard”. Shipbreaking yards stretch along the coast for tens of kilometers. Why are old ships brought here? – This region has favorable climatic conditions, cheap labor, disregard for environmental standards, and low labor safety requirements.

Owners of ship dismantling companies earn hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, by purchasing a decommissioned ship for $20 million, shipyard owners can make a net profit of $10 million. If you're lucky with world steel prices. Up to 200 ships call at the Chittagong shipyard every year.

Companies involved in recycling are trying to make the most of the ship's salvage goods brought to Bangladesh. All equipment that can be put in order and used again is removed from sea vessels. Metal parts are melted down. Chittagong is the largest steel supplier in Bangladesh.

Hazardous working conditions

Dismantling of ships occurs in a primitive way.

Having pulled the next vessel closer to the shore, a team of workers begins to remove equipment and cut out steel sheets that could be carried ashore manually.

Working conditions for workers are so dangerous that deaths occur every month. Injuries, bruises, fractures, and loss of fingers and toes occur regularly. During dismantling of a vessel, a worker may be injured by a fall from a height, a bounced piece of metal, or an explosion of a condenser or gas cylinder.

Separate settlements have appeared in which cripples live - former workers in the dismantling of ships.

An employee receives a few dollars per work shift. It is difficult for local residents to find other work due to the tense situation on the labor market. In addition to adult men, children and teenagers work in the dismantling of ships.

Environmental pollution

A serious problem is the environment.

Disposal of old sea vessels leads to the formation of a large amount of hazardous waste containing heavy metals, asbestos, glass wool, and hydrocarbon mixtures. This hazardous waste ends up in coastal waters and gets eaten into the ground.

During low tides, pieces of scrap metal and coastal sand saturated with toxic waste are carried into the ocean. Irreversible harm is caused to the health of workers working without special protective equipment. In addition to Bangladesh, India, China, and Pakistan are involved in ship dismantling.

Chittagong lies in the east of Bangladesh, at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River. It is the country's most important industrial center and international port, as well as its second largest city. In addition, Chittagong is considered the most famous tourist destination in Bangladesh, which is a must-see for all guests traveling to the countries of this region. The reason for this is its favorable location: the city is located between picturesque mountainous areas and the sea. Moreover, the environs of Chittagong can boast not only of a good sea coast with an abundance of shallows and islets, but also a large number of ancient monasteries of different cultures, as well as distinctive hill tribes inhabiting the famous Chittagong Hills. Of course, the city itself is also interesting, famous for its many architectural and historical monuments of different eras and cultures.

Climate and weather

Chittagong is located in the tropical monsoon climate zone. The summer season is characterized by rainy and rather hot weather; the air temperature at this time fluctuates in the range +23...+34 °C, and sometimes can reach +38 °C. Winters are drier and cooler, with average daily temperatures within +12...+25 °С.

The best time to visit Chittagong is during the cool season from October to February. Traveling in April and May is not recommended, as high air temperatures and humidity make staying here during this period very uncomfortable.

Nature

Chittagong is located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, near the famous Chittagong Hills. The city lies in an area with rather hilly terrain, on the banks of a river Karnapuli. There are no natural lakes within Chittagong, but there are small artificial ponds.

About 60 km from the city lies the Chittagong Hills region, covered in large numbers of forested hills interspersed with cliffs and gorges covered in thick jungle cover, as well as bamboo, wild grapes and vines. This area has a rather atypical terrain for the country and includes river valleys Matamukhur, Feni, Karnapuli And Shangu.

Attractions

Chittagong was roughly founded at the turn of the new era and has experienced many dramatic events over its long history. Therefore, it is not surprising that the peculiarity of the city is the mixture of different architectural styles and cultures. The main attraction of Chittagong is the old Sadarghat district, which lies along the northern banks of the Karnapuli River. It has been inhabited since ancient times by wealthy merchants, and with the arrival of the Portuguese, the Paterghatta enclave with rich mansions and villas was built on its territory. By the way, Sadarghat is one of the few areas in Bangladesh where Christianity is still preserved. Now the main attractions of this area are:

Quadam Mubarak, Chandanpura and Shahi Jama-e-Masjid mosques,
shrine Dargah Sakh Amanat,
majestic courthouse complex,
mausoleum of Bada Shah,
many old houses and mansions of different sizes and styles.

An interesting object is the sanctuary Bayezida-Bostami, which attracts a large number of pilgrims. Particularly noteworthy is its pond with turtles, which are considered to be the direct descendants of evil spirits (genies) placed in the bodies of these reptiles.

Also, the most popular attractions of Chittagong include:

Ethnological Museum,
Baitul Falah Mosque,
Memorial Cemetery for World War II Victims,
Foy reservoir (8 km from the center),
Patenga beach.

The surrounding area of Chittagong deserves special attention, or rather the hill region, which includes a large area of hills with forests and picturesque gorges covered with jungle, wild grapes and bamboo. This atypical region in terms of culture and topography is home to Buddhist tribes who have still preserved their original culture.

Nutrition

Chittagong has quite a large number of restaurants and eateries offering national, Indian, Thai, Chinese and European cuisines. True, it must be said that there are not many establishments with a European menu here. But everywhere there are street stalls offering local delicacies and sweets. You must be prepared for the fact that locals love spicy and fatty foods, which can initially be quite heavy and unusual for Europeans. For this reason, tourists are advised to dine at hotels and visit the best restaurants in the city.

If we talk directly about local cuisine, then it is based on rice and all kinds of hot spices, as well as lentils, vegetables, fish and meat. Moreover, the taste, color and aroma of each dish depends directly on seasonings and spices. For example, there is even a whole class of rice dishes called “ biryani", which differ in the number of additives and methods of preparation. Also, the most common national dishes include “ doom"(vegetables, meat and rice baked in a pot), lamb kebab in flatbread " kati-roti», « pilaf"(pilaf), lamb ribs " chap", fish curry in yogurt " dahi-maach" and potato cakes " puri».

Sweets in Bengali cuisine are very unusual and varied. First of all, it is recommended to try the sweet curd balls " Roshgolla", pies " pita", candies " mishti"and sweet vermicelli" shemai».

The most common drinks here are sweet tea with milk, fermented milk drink " lassi"and fruit juices. Alcohol is only available in hotels for foreigners and in European restaurants.

Accommodation

In Chittagong, travelers can find quite acceptable accommodation options, as there are a fairly large number of decent mid-level hotels. Moreover, the cost of living in local hotels is quite low; for example, here you can easily find a good room for $30. The best hotels in the city include Hotel Agrabad 5*, Well Park Residence And The Peninsula Chittagong. Those who want to find a middle-class establishment should pay attention to Hotel Al-Faisal, Hotel Golden Inn, Hotel Bandargaon or Hotel Saint Martin. A relatively good economy class hotel is Hotel Miskha.

Entertainment and relaxation

In Chittagong, like in other cities of Bangladesh, there are no nightclubs, discos and bars familiar to Europeans. However, one should not think that there are no places for leisure activities. An excellent place for picnics and outdoor recreation is Foy Pond, which is located in a picturesque green area. There is a small amusement park here. Lake Foya", and there is a zoo nearby.

It must be said that this is not the only amusement park in the city. So, tourists can visit the parks here:

Zia-Xishu,
Karnafulli-Sishu,
Mini Bangladesh and Jatisongkho,
Shitakunda Eco Park which is a beautiful place with a pond and beautiful hills.

Another scenic spot in Chittagong is the sandy beach. Patenga, which looks especially good from the street of the Maritime Academy. Outside the city there is another beach - a natural beach Cattali with mangrove forest.

The most beloved and popular sport in Chittagong is cricket, while football and tennis are also quite common. The city has a fairly large number of stadiums and sports grounds. The main one is the multi-purpose stadium MA Aziz Stadium, where major cricket and football competitions take place.

In general, the main options for spending time in Chittagong are walking around the old district, sightseeing and searching for colorful souvenirs in local eastern markets. An atypical area for the country is the so-called red light district, where pornographic videos and books in the local language are openly sold on the sidewalks.

Purchases

Chittagong is a large and modern city, so there are colorful street markets and large shopping centers, as well as supermarkets and souvenir shops. The best place for shopping is the AFMI Plaza shopping center, which boasts a large number of branded clothing, accessories and perfume stores. Also very popular are such shopping centers as:

Central Plaza,
Yunusco City Center,
Akhtaruzzaman Center,
Biponi Bitan,
Chittagong Shopping Complex, etc.

The latter boasts not only the largest sizes, but also the widest selection of stores, as well as low prices.

Those who prefer a more interesting shopping experience are recommended to visit the colorful and noisy city markets, simply abounding with a wide variety of goods. In this case, you must always remember that bargaining is simply necessary here. Moreover, the point is not only that bargaining allows you to reduce the declared price by 2-3 times. At local markets, the process of trading is a kind of tradition, so if you don’t bargain here, you may offend the seller.

It is recommended to buy souvenirs at markets and specialized stores. Tourists most often bring from here pink pearls, fantastic masks made of coconut shells, unusual wickerwork made of reed and bamboo, handmade fabrics, handicrafts and traditional dolls.

Transport

In Chittagong, in the Patenga district, there is an international Shah Amanat airport, which receives flights from Sylhet and Dhaka, as well as from Kolkata, Muscat, Kuwait, etc. By rail that passes through Chattagong you can go to Sylhet, Dhaka and other cities of the country. The railway station is located on Station Road. From the city of Barisal to Chittagong you can take a ferry, and there are also two bus terminals in the city.

Chittagong's public transport is no different from the capital's. There are overcrowded buses whose drivers never stick to the schedule, as well as taxis, rickshaws and pedicabs. The fare for all types of transport is low. You can and even need to bargain with rickshaw drivers.

You should be prepared for the fact that there is complete chaos on the roads of Chittagong and Dhaka, since almost no one here knows the traffic rules, much less follows them.

Connection

Unfortunately, the quality of Bangladesh's telephone system is not up to modern standards. However, Chittagong is the largest city in the country, so public telephones are not as uncommon here as in most other cities. They are mainly found in shopping areas and some large stores. You can also make calls from post offices and hotels.

Compared to landline communications, the mobile communications system (GSM 900/1800) is quite well developed. However, its coverage is limited only to the main cities of the country, as well as popular tourist centers. Although in the vicinity of Chittagong it is quite stable. The country has a fairly large number of small operators with an extremely confusing tariff system, so choosing a local SIM card here is quite difficult.

Internet access is available in large hotels and internet cafes. The latter are located at the intersection of Jubilee and Station roads, as well as next to the GEC highway. The cost of one hour of session ranges from $0.2-0.3.

Safety

A special feature of Chittagong is the intense and chaotic traffic, for this reason you need to be very careful when crossing roads, especially in places that are not equipped with traffic lights. In crowded places and crowded buses, there is a high probability of becoming a victim of numerous local pickpockets. For this reason, it is recommended to take all possible precautions. The outskirts of the city are extremely disadvantaged and unsafe areas and should be avoided. The center of Chittagong is much safer, but it is advisable to avoid walking at night.

Due to the local weather, many synthetic fabrics are not suitable for wearing here, so preference should be given to lightweight clothing made from natural fabrics. Also, due to high humidity and unsanitary conditions, it is necessary to pay increased attention to hygiene.

Business climate

Chittagong is a major industrial center of Bangladesh. About 40% of the country's heavy industry (oil refining, steel, automobile, chemical and other industries) is located in the city and its surrounding environs. The knitting and pharmaceutical industries, production of fertilizers, cement and cables are also developed here. Moreover, Chittagong is the largest port of Bangladesh, accounting for about 80% of the country's total imports and exports. Such a favorable location of the city and its developed industrial sector attracts investors here.

Real estate

Basically, the demand for real estate in Chittagong is supported by fans of oriental culture and investment companies who consider the local market as a promising investment of their financial resources. The city is quite large, so the choice of objects here is quite wide: office buildings, apartments, industrial premises and houses by the sea. At the same time, there is not yet such a high problem with overpopulation as in the capital, although the population is also large.

In Bangladesh, you should always bargain everywhere. The fact is that there are practically no stable prices for goods and services. The only exceptions are large state-owned stores, where all prices are fixed.

Moreover, even in public transport, which supposedly has a clear pricing system, if you really want, you can reduce the fee several times. This is explained by clearly inflated demands on foreign guests of the country, at the sight of which local residents sharply increase their price requests. However, when the client knows the prices, they easily make concessions. In addition, Islamic traditions require compliance with the traditional bargaining procedure here, which means you should not treat it as an attempt to rob you, because for many Bangladeshis this is a common trading practice.

And regions of the country. The second largest city in the country and the most important port of Bangladesh.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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The city has been known since the 1st century AD. In 1338, Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah captured Chittagong. He built a road from Chandpur to Chittagong. In 1538, the Arakanese restored their rule. The Mughals captured Chittagong in 1666. From 1538 to 1666, the Portuguese raided and practically ruled Chittagong. Since 1760, the city has belonged to the East India Company. During World War II, it was the target of attacks by the Japanese, but they were unable to capture the city, as well as British India. In 1947-1971 it belonged to Pakistan; since 1971, after the war of independence, it belonged to Bangladesh. From here, news of the country's declaration of independence spread throughout the country.

Demining the port after the War of Independence

As a result of the war, the berths and water area of the port were mined, and the fairways and places at the berths were blocked by sunken ships. The delivery of food was blocked, and the threat of famine loomed over the newly independent country.

Residents of Bangladesh, in search of income, do not disdain the most dangerous occupation - dismantling old ships.

They immediately made it clear to me that it would not be easy to get to where they were dismantling sea vessels. “Tourists used to be brought here,” says one local resident. “They were shown how people dismantle multi-ton structures with almost bare hands. But now there is no way for us to come here.” I walked a couple of kilometers along the road that runs along the Bay of Bengal north from the city of Chittagong to a place where 80 shipbreaking yards line a 12-kilometer stretch of coastline. Each is hidden behind a high fence covered with barbed wire, there are guards everywhere and signs prohibiting photography. Strangers are not welcome here.

In the evening I hired a fishing boat and decided to make an outing to one of the shipyards. Thanks to the tide, we easily scurried between huge oil tankers and container ships, sheltering in the shadow of their giant pipes and hulls. Some ships were still intact, others resembled skeletons: stripped of their steel plating, they exposed the insides of deep, dark holds. Sea giants last an average of 25–30 years; most of those delivered for disposal were launched in the 1980s. Now that the increased cost of insurance and maintenance has made older ships unprofitable, their value lies in the steel of the hulls. We found ourselves here at the end of the day, when the workers had already gone home, and the ships rested in silence, occasionally disturbed by the splash of water and the clanking of metal coming from their bellies. The smell of sea water and fuel oil was in the air. Making our way along one of the ships, we heard ringing laughter and soon saw a group of boys. They floundered near a half-submerged metal skeleton: they climbed onto it and dived into the water. Nearby, fishermen were setting up nets in hopes of a good catch of rice fish, a local delicacy. Suddenly, very close by, a shower of sparks fell from a height of several floors. “You can’t come here! - the worker shouted from above. “What, are you tired of living?”

Ocean-going vessels are designed to last for many years

service in extreme conditions. No one thinks about the fact that sooner or later they will have to be dismantled into pieces, many of which will contain toxic materials like asbestos and lead. Ship recycling in developed countries is highly regulated and very expensive, so this dirty work is carried out mainly by Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Labor here is very cheap, and there is almost no control of any kind. True, the situation in the industry is gradually improving, but the process is very protracted. For example, India has finally introduced new requirements for worker and environmental safety. However, in Bangladesh, where as many as 194 ships were dismantled last year, the work remains very dangerous. At the same time, it brings in a lot of money. Activists say that in three to four months, by investing about five million dollars in dismantling one ship at a shipyard in Bangladesh, you can get an average profit of up to a million. Jafar Alam, former head of the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Association, disagrees with these figures: “It all depends on the class of the vessel and many other factors, such as current steel prices.” Whatever the profit, it cannot arise out of nowhere: more than 90% of materials and equipment find a second life. The process begins with the remanufacturing company purchasing the vessel from an international used vessel broker.

To deliver the ship to the dismantling site, the company hires a captain who specializes in “parking” huge ships on a strip of beach a hundred meters wide. After the ship gets stuck in the coastal sand, all liquids are drained from it and sold: the remains of diesel fuel, engine oil and fire-fighting substances. Then the mechanisms and internal equipment are removed from it. Everything is for sale, without exception, from huge engines, batteries and kilometers of copper wiring, to the bunks on which the crew slept, portholes, lifeboats and electronic devices from the captain's bridge. Then the devastated building is surrounded by workers who came to work from the poorest areas of the country. First, they dismember the ship using acetylene cutters. Then loaders drag the fragments to the shore: the steel will be melted down and sold - it will be used in the construction of buildings. “Good business, you say? But just think about the chemicals that are poisoning our land! – Mohammed Ali Shaheen, an activist of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, is indignant. “You haven’t yet seen young widows whose husbands died under torn structures or suffocated in the holds.” For 11 of his 37 years, Shaheen has been trying to draw public attention to the hard labor of shipyard workers. The entire industry, he said, is controlled by several influential families from Chittagong, who also own related businesses, in particular metal smelting. Sahin is well aware that his country is in dire need of jobs. “I’m not asking for a complete end to ship recycling,” he says. “We just need to create normal working conditions.”

Shahin is convinced that it is not only unprincipled compatriots who are to blame for the current situation. “Who in the West will allow the environment to be polluted openly by dismantling ships right on the beach? Then why is it considered normal to get rid of ships that have become unnecessary here, paying pennies and constantly endangering the lives and health of people?” - he is indignant. Going to the nearby barracks, I saw the workers for whom Shahin was so offended. Their bodies are covered with deep scars, which are called “Chittagong tattoos”. Some men are missing fingers. In one of the huts I met a family whose four sons worked at the shipyard. The eldest, 40-year-old Mahabab, once witnessed the death of a man: a fire in the hold broke out from a cutter. “I didn’t even come to this shipyard for money, afraid that they wouldn’t just let me go,” he said. “The owners don’t like to wash dirty linen in public.” Mahabab shows a photograph on the shelf: “This is my brother Jahangir. He was engaged in cutting metal at the shipyard of Ziri Subedar, where he died in 2008.” Together with other workers, the brother tried unsuccessfully for three days to separate a large section from the ship's hull. Then it started to rain, and the workers decided to take shelter under it. At this moment, the structure could not stand it and came off. The third brother, 22-year-old Alamgir, is not at home right now. While working on a tanker, he fell through a hatch and flew 25 meters. Luckily for him, water accumulated at the bottom of the hold, softening the blow from the fall. Alamgir's partner went down on a rope and pulled him out of the hold. The very next day, Alamgir quit his job, and now he delivers tea to the shipyard managers in the office. Younger brother Amir works as a worker's assistant and also cuts metal. He is a wiry 18-year-old with no scars on his smooth skin yet. I asked Amir if he was afraid to work, knowing what happened to his brothers. “Yes,” he replied, smiling shyly. Suddenly, during our conversation, the roof shook with a roar. There was a sound like thunder. I looked outside. “Oh, it was a piece of metal that fell off the ship,” Amir said indifferently. “We hear this every day.”