The marine fish survey ship, RD Min Sondhani, is hoped to arrive in Bangladesh from Malaysia at the onset of this April, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammad Sayedul Hoque has said.
He said this at a view exchange meeting with journalists in Chittagong’s Marine Fisheries Academy after completion of the academy’s 33th batch graduation parade 2014 in Chittagong on Wednesday noon.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the operation work of the ship, he said.
“A five-member team including three navy personnel went to Malaysia a week ago while the harbour trial and the sea trial of the ship would be completed within the end of March. It would take time for seven to eight days to come in the country,” he said.
The minister said skilled and trained marine fisheries cadets are deprived of good job opportunities as the fisheries companies and fishing vessels companies are getting unskilled and untrained crews giving low salary.
“Our government is working to grow up the marine sector and trying to make it as a beneficial sector by developing marine resources,” he cited.
Earlier, the minister addressing as chief guest attended at the 33th batch’s passing out parade at the academy in the morning while 64 cadets completed their graduation in three fields – Nautical Department, Marine Engineering Department and Marine Fisheries Department – of the academy this year.
Marine Fisheries Academy’s Principal Captain Masuque Hasan Ahmed was also present in the programme, among others.
Later, the minister inaugurated the newly constructed female cadet hostel in the academy.
He said about Tk41 crore projects are allotted for the academy’s infrastructural and logistic developments.
Marine Fisheries Academy, establishing on September 1, 1973, has 100 seats in three departments under three-year graduation course while a total of 1,455 cadets were graduated from the academy with the latest batch.
