Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam delivered the speech as the chief guest at a program organized by the Department of Shipping on the occasion of ‘World Shipping Day-2026’ at a hotel in the capital. Photo: PID
Sheikh Rabiul Alam, Minister of Shipping, Railways, Road Transport and Bridges, has said that a coordinated effort by all concerned parties is needed to ensure modern ports, skilled seafarers, strong regulatory systems and safe shipping.
He said, it is not enough to just join international maritime agreements or enact laws; to ensure its benefits, emphasis must be placed on safe ships, clean and modern ports, skilled seafarers, effective regulatory systems, and sustainable maritime trade.
He made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a program organized by the Department of Shipping on the occasion of ‘World Shipping Day-2026’ at a hotel in the capital on Sunday (September 27). The theme of the program organized under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Shipping was ‘From Policy to Practical Implementation: Achieving Excellence in the Shipping Sector’.
The Shipping Minister said that the real success of policies, plans and international commitments depends on their effective implementation. The government is working to make the country’s maritime sector safe, modern, technology-based, environmentally friendly and internationally competitive.
He stressed the need to modernize, automate and expand the capacity of the country’s ports and reduce the time for unloading goods. At the same time, he said that the control and inspection capacity of the Department of Shipping should be increased, the control activities of flag states and port states should be upgraded to international standards, and safety and environmental standards should be effectively enforced.
He said, “The country’s seafarers are Bangladesh’s most valuable maritime asset and they are important representatives of the country to the outside world. Continuous investment will be continued in their welfare, training, certification and professional skills enhancement.”
He said that coordinated initiatives will be taken to ensure sustainable development of inland waterways and coastal shipping, prevention of river pollution, and safe navigation.
Bangladesh Navy Chief Admiral Khandaker Mesbah-ul-Azim was present as the special guest at the event. Highlighting the interrelationship between maritime security and maritime prosperity, he said that the development of ports, maritime trade, fisheries, ocean-based resources and the blue economy depend on a safe and stable maritime environment.
The Navy Chief called for further strengthening maritime security, information exchange, overall awareness of the maritime situation, and effective coordination among relevant agencies. He emphasized increasing investment in maritime education, training, modern technology, and professional development.
It was informed at the event that Chittagong Port currently handles about 3.4 million single containers per year. The Matarbari Deep Sea Port will play an important role in meeting the demand for an additional capacity of about 4 million single containers in the future. The port, which is moving forward with the goal of starting operations in 2029, will be able to directly receive large ships about 230 meters long and with a capacity of eight to 10,000 single containers.
It was hoped that this would reduce transportation time and cost of transporting goods, as well as strengthen Bangladesh’s position in the regional and global supply chain.
Emphasis was placed on the need to develop a safe, environmentally friendly and technology-based shipping system, citing the country’s nearly 6,000 kilometers of inland waterways as important resources for the economy and communication system.
It is hoped to develop an integrated multimodal transport system by establishing effective connections between seaports, coastal waterways, and inland waterways.
It was informed at the event that after the Hong Kong International Maritime Convention came into effect, 24 ship recycling yards in the country have met the set standards and 20 more yards are in the process of certification. Emphasis was laid on making this industry internationally competitive by ensuring safety, worker welfare and environmental standards.
In addition, an initiative has been taken to formulate a national action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping with the support of the International Maritime Organization’s ‘Green Shipping 2050’ program. Emphasis is placed on transitioning to green shipping through low-carbon fuels, energy conservation, increased use of electricity in port operations, and environmentally friendly ship recycling.
Highlighting the progress of maritime education and training in the country, the event informed that currently 15 maritime academies and training institutions and one maritime university are working to produce skilled seafarers, marine engineers and port management professionals. Since 2014, more than 138 female cadets have graduated from the country’s maritime academies.
It was also announced that the capacity of the Joint Rescue and Coordination Center of the Department of Shipping will be further expanded to ensure rapid response to maritime accidents, search and rescue operations, and coordinated communication. At the same time, initiatives to gradually bring the country’s inland vessels under the digital registration and location identification system were highlighted.
Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Zakaria, Director General of the Department of Shipping Commodore Md. Shafiul Bari, along with senior government officials, representatives of port authorities, shipowners, ship operating organizations, representatives of ship management and ship recycling organizations, heads of maritime education and training institutions, sailors and related maritime professionals were present at the event.