Dhaka - Bangladesh has banned the asbestos-lined ocean liner SS Norway from being dismantled in its shipyards.

The announcement came a day after French President Jacques Chirac ordered the asbestos-lined warship Clemenceau back home from the Indian Ocean while it was on its way to India for scrapping.

Bangladesh's Environment Minister, Tariqul Islam, said on Thursday: "Based on the information we have gathered, we've decided to ban the ship from entering our waters."

He said the Central Bank and the customs department had been instructed not to issue any import order for the ship, and the navy and coastguard were under orders to ensure it stayed out of Bangladeshi waters.

The government's decision comes after a Bangladeshi scrap merchant, Haji Lokman Hossain, said he had bought the famed 11-storey SS Norway for $12-million and was waiting to make a payment.