The second ship, MV Banglar Nabajatra, purchased by the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) with its own funds, will join the BSC fleet in January after completing its trial run. However, the ship will begin commercial operations immediately following the trial.
The trial run of the vessel, built at a Chinese shipyard, was initially scheduled to take place between December 10 and 15, but it will now be conducted from December 26 to 31. If no problems are detected, BSC will take delivery of the ship in early January. One of the two newly purchased ships has already joined the fleet and begun operations. The second vessel will transport goods to ports around the world under the Bangladeshi flag early next year.
Like the first ship, MV Banglar Nabajatra has a carrying capacity of 63,500 tonnes. The vessel is 199.99 metres long, has a draft of 13.5 metres and a breadth of 32.26 metres. With the addition of this ship, the total number of vessels in the BSC fleet will increase to seven—three oil tankers for fuel transportation and four bulk carriers.
BSC expects the two new ships to generate at least Tk 200 crore annually and to provide employment for around 150 sailors on a rotational basis.
BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek said that, for the first time in the organisation’s history, two ships have been purchased using its own funds, significantly strengthening its economic base. Six years after acquiring three vessels in December 2019, BSC has purchased two new ships this year.
He said the second ship, built at China’s Nanyang Shipyard, will complete its trial run in the Chinese seas between December 26 and 31. Experts from both the shipyard and BSC will be on board to inspect various aspects of the vessel. Any observations will be addressed before final delivery.
Commodore Malek added that it took only six months from the invitation to tender to the inclusion of the ships in the fleet. A condition was included in the tender to procure ships that were already under construction, enabling BSC to add two large vessels within this short period. Of the two ships, MV Banglar Pragati is already sailing under the Bangladeshi flag, while Banglar Nabajatra will join the fleet early next month.
He further said that BSC aims to purchase at least one ship every year using its own financing. Initiatives have been taken to increase the total number of BSC vessels to 27 by acquiring 13 more ships over the next five years. With the operation of 22 new ships, BSC hopes to achieve a net annual profit of around Tk 3,000 crore.
According to BSC sources, an international tender was invited for the purchase of the two ships. Following verification and selection, the tender submitted by US-based company Hellenic Dry Bulk Ventures LLC was approved by the Advisory Council Committee on Government Procurement in the third week of August. The committee approved the purchase at a cost of Tk 936 crore. Although the ships were built in China, the supplier is the American company Hellenic Dry Bulk Ventures LLC.
Shipping sector representatives said Bangladesh requires more ships to create employment opportunities for the large number of trained sailors graduating each year. As the number of domestically flagged vessels increases, employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings through freight services will also rise. Currently, there are 104 domestically flagged ships.
BSC, which began its journey on February 5, 1972, following independence, is the country’s only state-owned ocean-going shipping company. Its commercial operations commenced on June 10, 1972, with the vessel MV Banglar Dut. Over time, 44 ships have been added to the BSC fleet.
With financial assistance from the Chinese government, BSC expanded its fleet to eight ships by acquiring three vessels in 2018 and three more in 2019. On March 2, 2022, MV Banglar Samriddhi was damaged in a rocket attack at the port of Olbia in Ukraine and was later declared abandoned, reducing the fleet to seven ships. In October 2023, two 37-year-old vessels—MT Banglar Sourav and MT Banglar Jyoti—were severely damaged in separate fire incidents within a week and were later sold as scrap for Tk 55 crore, reducing the fleet to five ships.
However, the two ships recently purchased with BSC’s own funds—MV Banglar Pragati and MV Banglar Nabajatra—will restore the fleet to seven vessels once the latter is added next month.
