Shipbuilders work to remove rust and barnacles as well as fixing damage on large vessels in a dry dock. Over 200 hundred shipbuilding companies operate out of Bangladesh, concentrating a large portion of their workforce to the Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard. Rayhan Ahmed said, “The shipyard provides docks and equipment mostly for repairing and maintaining big vessels. But the workers in the yard also break down old ships as well as build new ships from scratch.” “Countless workers equipped with hammers and chisels work to rid the boat hulls of damages like old paint, barnacles and rust. A stroll in the shipyard is always accompanied by the rhythmic and incessant sound of hammering. The constant buzz of activity on the yard includes metal cutting, welding and painting.” Please byline: Rayhan Ahmed/Solent News © Rayhan Ahmed/Solent News & Photo Agency UK +44 (0) 2380 458800 *** Local Caption *** Shipbuilding in Bangladesh has become a major industry in recent years. Bangladesh has over 200 shipbuilding companies, mostly concentrated in Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna. The largest and most famous shipyard in Bangladesh is the Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard. One big shipyard in Dhaka is located on the riverbank of the Buriganga River just opposite of the Sadarghat in Old Dhaka. The best way to reach the dockyard is to cross the Buriganga River at Sadarghat by using one of the numerous small wooden boats for just 5 Taka. The dockyard is open for everyone and it is very easy to roam around. The shipyard provides docks and equipment mostly for repairing and maintaining big vessels. But the workers in the yard also break down old ships as well as build new ships from scratch. The first thing to notice when entering the yard is that the workers are extremely kind and welcoming. They always have a friendly smile for the visitors, and sometimes the ship-owners or dockyard managers greet the visitors with a handshake. A stroll in the shipyard is always accompanied by the rhythmic and incessant sound of hammering. Countless workers equipped with a hammer get rid of the rust and old paint of the boat hulls. The constant buzz of activity on the yard includes metal cutting, welding and painting. But there are also other facilities like foundries for ship propellers and workplaces to maintain the ship engines. And there are of course the huge cable winches to drag the big vessels out of the Buringanga River on the docks.