In a letter to the directors general of the shipping department and the Department of Environment (DoE), Bela demanded proper certification from the DoE as well as assurance that complete protective measures would be taken for the workers before they start cutting the ship along the Sitakunda coast of Bay of Bengal.

Messrs Arefin Enterprise of Chittagong bought a Mongolian flag carrier MV Lady Fatema from a ship-breaking yard of Mongolia and renamed it as MV Teem. They then took the clearance of the shipping department showing it as a ro-ro cargo, the letter said.

The ship contains asbestos, which is harmful for the human body, it added.

Bela also referred to the red alert issued by the Green Peace, a global organisation working for protection of environment, in February this year against another asbestos carrying Norwegian ship to prevent its entry into the Chittagong Port.

In the wake of the alert, Ministry of Environment and Forest prohibited the entry of SS Norway into the Chittagong Port. Bangladesh Bank also issued special order directing all banks not to open LC for import of that ship, Bela said.

It also demanded that the authorities concerned inform the association about the vessel's clearance and the amount of asbestos it is carrying.