Headlines: E-LAW in the News, Autumn 2006

The Ship Breakers of Bangladesh

Rizwana Hasan

ELAW partner Rizwana Hasan of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) was interviewed by 60 Minutes for "The Ship Breakers of Bangladesh." The ship breaking industry dumps PCBs, asbestos, and other toxins from old ships on the beaches of some of the poorest countries in the world. ELAW worked with BELA to file a case in the Supreme Court challenging this polluting industry. The following is an excerpt from Rizwana`s interview.

60 Minutes: Rizwana Hasan of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association is in the forefront of the battle against the industry. She says the shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh don`t respect even the most minimal environmental standards.

Rizwana: An industry that can`t comply with these minimum standards must not operate ... if you can`t pay your worker the minimum wage, you can`t operate. You can`t – if you can`t ensure the minimum environmental safeguard you shouldn`t operate.

60 Minutes: The Ship Breakers of Bangladesh, November 5, 2006