He discussed these matters during a meeting with a JICA delegation to Bangladesh at his office in the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday. The delegation was led by JICA's Chief Representative to Bangladesh, Takahashi Junko.
During the meeting, the Minister said that the ship recycling industry plays an important role in Bangladesh's economy. This industry has created extensive employment opportunities. However, for sustainable development, it is necessary to strengthen safety measures, ensure environmental protection, use modern technology, and simplify the approval process.
He said that the "JICA Ship Recycling Project," being implemented with JICA's cooperation, will play a vital role in enhancing the capacity of the country's ship recycling sector and developing internationally standard systems.
The meeting was informed that under the project, activities will include assessing the capacity of ship recycling yards, training relevant personnel, formulating modern guidelines, verifying and certifying Ship Recycling Facility Plans (SRFP), and improving the Ship Recycling Plan (SRP) approval system.
An initiative is being taken to launch a single online service system to reduce the complexity of the approval process in the ship recycling sector. This will enable various government approvals to be completed quickly and easily.
The JICA representative said that they are working with relevant agencies to address the administrative and technical challenges of Bangladesh's ship recycling industry. The main goal of this project is to develop an internationally standard and environmentally friendly industrial system.
The meeting also discussed enhancing the capacity of small and medium-sized industrial enterprises and connecting them to the international market. Emphasis was placed on connecting local entrepreneurs with the supply chains of major domestic and international companies through technology, training, and skill development.
The Minister said, "Enhancing the capacity of local entrepreneurs and connecting them with the international industrial system is one of the government's key goals. With JICA's cooperation, Bangladesh's industrial sector will become more competitive."
Present at the meeting were the Director General of the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board, A S M Shafiul Alam Talukder, and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Mahbuba Khatun Minu.
