The Executive Committee (ExCom) of the Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling project (SENSREC) has been briefed on the progress of SENSREC Bangladesh Phase 3 as its activities draw to an end. The ExCom 4 session, held in Dhaka on 26 October 2025, was chaired by Mr. Obaidur Rahman, Secretary in the Ministry of Industries. The session was attended by senior ministry officials including Additional Secretary, Mr. Rashidul Hasan and ASM Shafiul Alam Talukder, Director General of the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board (BSRB).

The SENSREC Project Coordination Unit (PCU) confirmed that the project was on course to complete delivery of its original Phase 3 workplan by 31 December 2025. The PCU updated the committee on the feasibility study for a Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) which had been approved as an additional project activity at ExCom 3 earlier in the year.

Secretary Rahman noted the progress that the project had made and expressed confidence that challenges were being ably addressed. Regarding plans for the TSDF, he welcomed the role of enhanced training and technological innovation, noting that broader adoption of technology would lead to an improved safety record.

Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board Director General, Mr. Talukder stated that the Board viewed SENSREC project as a flagship initiative given its contribution towards progressing plans for the TSDF. He further noted that the upcoming “Ship Recycling: From Waste to Wealth” summit to be held during Hong Kong Maritime Week 2026, would serve to attract additional investment into Bangladesh’s ship recycling industry, leading to improved processes and the implementation of best practice.

The ExCom was informed of stakeholders’ support for the initiation of SENSREC Phase 4 which would potentially include a training activity on the development and analysis of ship recycling plans in support of the safe and environmentally sound management of hazardous waste from ship recycling. The meeting was informed that discussions on the new phase were at an advanced stage and that it would be funded by Norway and implemented jointly by IMO and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Following ExCom 4, SENSREC’s project coordination unit, led by Project Coordinator, Mr. John Alonso, paid a visit to the Ambassador of Norway to Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr. Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, to brief him on the project’s achievements.

Ambassador Gulbrandsen expressed Norway’s appreciation for the progress made during Phase 3, acknowledging the constraints encountered. The Ambassador reaffirmed his government’s commitment towards SENSREC Bangladesh’s successful implementation, and conveyed openness to supporting a potential Phase 4, which could contribute to strengthening workers’ rights, including access to decent wages, formal contracts, regulated working hours, and social protection.

The ExCom 4 meeting and donor briefing took place in the lead up to a SENSREC Phase 3 closing workshop where the steering committee and a broader range of stakeholders in Bangladesh’s ship recycling industry will be briefed on the project’s achievements in greater detail.