Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan has said local shipbuilders are playing a significant role in the nation’s development due to huge amounts of foreign currency being saved as we no longer need to import ships.
“The country is faring well under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The shipbuilding industry is playing an important role for the country’s economic development,” said the minister.
Shahjahan Khan made the comment yesterday while paying a visit to FMC Dockyard at Boalkhali upazila in Chittagong.
He also inaugurated three projects of the dockyard, including construction work on two ships, and handed over 18 pontoons as chief guest.
The FMC Dockyard has obtained work orders to construct a special inspection multipurpose survey vessel, 53 buoys, and a coastal passenger vessel for Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).
During the inauguration, the minister also announced plans to procure 20 dredgers at Tk2,200 crores following the direct procurement method instead of the open procurement method. All shipbuilding enterprises in the country can participate in the tender due to the new procurement procedure.
With Md Yasin Chowdhury, Chief Executive Officer of the FMC Dockyard, as the chair, the inauguration was addressed by AJM Nasir Uddin, mayor of Chittagong City Corporation, Ashok Madhab Roy, acting secretary of the shipping ministry, Commodore Md Mozamel Haque, chairman of BIWTA, Md Mizanur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), Commodore Zulfiqur Aziz, chairman of Chittagong Port Authority, Rear Admiral Reazuddin Ahmed, chairman of Mongla Port Authority, Engineer Shafiqul Islam, principal officer of Mercantile Marine Department, and Khatune Jannat, managing director of the FMC.
“The nation’s shipping sector was in a sorry state when the AL-led government came to power in 2008. The sector was running with 28-year old ships. However, the present government has brought about a radical change in the sector in the last seven years. We have purchased seven dredgers, and 20 more are in the pipeline. Besides, we have purchased three excavators for conducting illegal establishments, 10 ferries, two ships for shuttling commuters, and two rescue ships,” said the minister.
Referring to Chittagong Port, he said the port had created ripples in the world.
“We had set a target of 2 million TEUS by 2016. However, the port has already reached the target one year ahead. Mongla Port was incurring losses since its inception in 1949. But now the port has turned around and is earning a profit,” the minister added.