In a bid to make the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation more profitable the government has taken a project to purchase six more new ships form China. This was informed at a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on Shipping Ministry on Wednesday. The meeting was also informed that earlier Bangladesh Shipping Corporation has collected a total of six new ships from China aiming at making the state-owned organisation profitable. Of them, three are bulk carriers while the rest three are oil tankers.
The standing committee held its 6th meeting at Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban with committee chairman Major (retd.) Rafiqul Islam in the chair. Committee members – State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Shajahan Khan, M Majharul Haq Prodhan, Ranjit Kumar Roy, Mahfuzur Rahman, Dr Shamil Uddin Ahmed Shimul, M Aslam Hossen Sawdagar and SM Shahjada, among others, took part in the meeting.
To find out ways and means of how the shipping corporation can be made a more effective, active and profitable organization, the meeting formed a sub-committee led by committee member Abdul Latif, and directed the sub-committee to submit its report in two months. Issues relating to the activities of the Department of Shipping, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, and National River Conservation Commission have also been discussed widely in the meeting. The committee members said in the meeting that women of Bangladesh are not only demonstrating their success in the corporate and education sector, they are also aviating the sky and navigating the deep seas.
The meeting was also informed that a total 51 female officers and cadets are being trained up, and many of them are appointment at different ships after their successful completion of training since 2014. A total of 9 female officers and 19 female trainees were appointed for six new ships. The meeting also discussed that earlier state minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury visited the Chinese National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) office in Beijing in this regard.
The committee underscored the need for immediate actions for the implementation of the development projects to ensure ease and safety in transportation of the people living in islands.
