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Dockyards Boom in Bangladesh

Published November 21st, 2020 - 02:18 GMT

Rivers are Bangladesh's lifeblood that's why work is booming at Bangladesh's largest shipyard.

It's difficult to hear anything over the cacophony of banging hammers and the air is thick with the acrid smell of oil and chemicals. Its proof the industry has withstood the economic shockwaves wrought by the COVID pandemic.

The shipyard sector has soared on the back of the strong economy, together with the textile industry which has made Bangladesh the world's second-largest garment exporter.

But there is a dark side, with campaigners warning of the continued use of child workers and poor labour law enforcement.

Children in the shipyards are paid just a fraction of the wages that adults receive and also face the risk of injury and death, activists said. 

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In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker makes a propeller of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker makes a propeller of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 dockyard worker smokes a cigarette next the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 dockyard worker smokes a cigarette next the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker welds a ship's part on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker welds a ship's part on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers carries maintenance works on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers carries maintenance works on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this aerial photograph taken on November 16, 2020 passenger ferry ships are seen moored on the Buriganga River in Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this aerial photograph taken on November 16, 2020 passenger ferry ships are seen moored on the Buriganga River in Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers prepare molds to make propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers prepare molds to make propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers carry a metal sheet during maintenance works for a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers carry a metal sheet during maintenance works for a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers pour molten iron in a mold to make a propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers pour molten iron in a mold to make a propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 a dockyard worker carries on maintenance works on the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 a dockyard worker carries on maintenance works on the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker makes a propeller of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 dockyard worker smokes a cigarette next the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker welds a ship's part on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers carries maintenance works on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this aerial photograph taken on November 16, 2020 passenger ferry ships are seen moored on the Buriganga River in Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers prepare molds to make propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers carry a metal sheet during maintenance works for a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers pour molten iron in a mold to make a propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 a dockyard worker carries on maintenance works on the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker makes a propeller of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker makes a propeller of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 dockyard worker smokes a cigarette next the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 dockyard worker smokes a cigarette next the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker welds a ship's part on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 a dockyard worker welds a ship's part on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers carries maintenance works on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers carries maintenance works on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this aerial photograph taken on November 16, 2020 passenger ferry ships are seen moored on the Buriganga River in Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this aerial photograph taken on November 16, 2020 passenger ferry ships are seen moored on the Buriganga River in Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers prepare molds to make propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers prepare molds to make propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers carry a metal sheet during maintenance works for a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 16, 2020 dockyard workers carry a metal sheet during maintenance works for a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers pour molten iron in a mold to make a propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 12, 2020 dockyard workers pour molten iron in a mold to make a propeller at a workshop on the banks of the Buriganga river in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 a dockyard worker carries on maintenance works on the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP
In this picture taken on November 11, 2020 a dockyard worker carries on maintenance works on the hull of a ship on the banks of the Buriganga River in Char Kaliganj on the outskirts of Dhaka. Rivers are the lifeblood of the delta nation of 168 million people where much of the low-lying land is accessed via boat, with Bangladesh's strong economic growth of recent years fuelling more investments in new and bigger ships. Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP

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