The Hong Kong Convention was adopted in 2009 to regulate the global industry of ship recycling, but the convention remains unenforced due to the problem of ratification by the leading ship recycling states. Due to the lopsided track record of ship breaking in the last forty years, the ratification currently depends primarily on the policy choices of few developing nations. Given the gross unpreparedness and oversight of Pakistan towards the treaty’s timely accession with India’s recent ratification, and the ban of China on the import of hazardous waste, the responsibility lies with the policymakers of Bangladesh to decide the fate of this influential global pact. This article attempts to track down the origin and evolution of ship recycling regime of Bangladesh, followed by a critical analysis of the salient provisions of the framework ship recycling regulations of this chief ship recycling state as adopted recently. It postulates that the drawbacks figured out may create significant obstruction or procrastination to accede to the convention by Bangladesh thereby endowing an inclusive and sustainable global ship recycling industry any time soon. The article ends with recommendations to the government of Bangladesh for necessary amendments in its framework regulations on ship recycling identified in this research.

Corresponding author

Corresponding author. Ishtiaque Ahmed: ishtiaque.ahmed@northsouth.edu

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COPYRIGHT: © The UK Law and Society Association, 2020