In Bangladesh, shipbuilding and repair yards operate largely by hand, relying on recycled materials sourced from Chittagong’s ship-breaking yards. Dismantled ships provide steel, engines, and other parts, fueling an industry known for its cost efficiency and resourcefulness. However, these practices often come with significant risks. Workers face precarious safety conditions, with limited protective equipment and exposure to hazardous materials like asbestos and oil residues. The labor-intensive nature of the work highlights their skill, yet wages remain low, and workplace accidents are common. Despite these challenges, this industry remains vital to Bangladesh’s economy, serving both domestic and international maritime needs.

Ship construction and repair in Bangladesh is done mainly by hand, using recycled old metal and parts from the ship-breaking yards in Chittagong. Shipyard workers in Kerinigong, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyard workers removing paint with a hammer from a cargo ship on the Buriganga river, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Children carrying empty paint pots collected on the shipyards, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Ferry boat construction with recycled steel from ship breaking yards, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Removing old paint from the hull, Dhaka shipyards, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyards for construction of ferry boats, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Ship builders, shipyards in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Ship repair yards along the Buriganga river, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Newly constructed boat ready to be launched in the Buriganga river, Dhaka ship construction yards, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyards along the Buriganga river in Kerenigong neighbourhood of Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Paint removers, shipyards of Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyard owner and client watching the boat being pulled manually in the river. Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyard worker, Kerenigong in Dhaka, May 2015

Shipyards along the Buriganga river in Kerenigong neighbourhood of Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Ship repair yards along the Buriganga river, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyards along the Buriganga river in Kerenigong neighbourhood of Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyard workers removing manually old paint from the hull of a ferry boat, Dhaka shipyards, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyards for construction of ferry boats, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Shipyard worker, Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Dhaka shipyards along the Buriganga river, Bangladesh, October 2014

Dhaka shipyards along the Buriganga river, Bangladesh, October 2014

Hammering off old paint for days before a fresh layer of paint, shipyards of Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 2014

Calibrating a propeller, Kerenigong Neighbourhood, Dhaka, October 2014

Kerenigong shipyards in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 2015

Dhaka shipyards along the Buriganga river, Bangladesh, October 2014

Welder, Kerienigong shipyards, Dhaka, May 2015

Shipyard worker, Kerenigong in Dhaka, May 2015

Scrubbing old paint from the hull, Dhaka shipyards, Bangladesh, May 2015

Construction site for ferry boats using recycled parts from the ship-breaking yards. Dhaka ship building yards, Bangladesh, May 2015

Workshop for propellors, Kerenigong shipyards, Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 2015

Shipyard for fishing boat repair along the Karnaphuli river, Chittagong, Bangladesh, October 2014
