Dhaka, Feb. 25 -- Bangladesh lost its position as the world's top shipbreaking destination in 2025 as imports of scrapped vessels declined by over 32 per cent amid regulatory pressures, economic challenges and stricter international standards.

According to data released by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform (NSP), Bangladesh imported 88 scrapped ships weighing 2.68 million tonnes last year -- a sharp decline from 130 ships in 2024.

Conversely, India emerged as the top shipbreaking destination last year, importing 111 vessels totalling 3.36 million tonnes.

The downturn reflects a volatile trend for the Bangladeshi sector. After peaking at 254 ships in 2021, imports fell to 122 in 2022 before a brief recovery to 170 in 2023. The country broug...