Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury started his career in 1991 as an Assistant Commissioner in the Barishal Deputy Commissioner’s Office. Since then, he gained experience working at all levels of field administration as well as central government. Prior to joining the Ministry of Shipping on 27 February 2020, he discharged his duties as Additional Secretary at the Appointment, Promotion & Deputation (APD) wing of the Ministry of Public Administration. Working in this capacity, he acquired adroitness in the ‘human resource management’ of the government. In an interview with CPA news, he discussed the shipping industry’s possibilities, opportunities, and constraints.
Bangladesh has been experiencing growth for a decade, and that has been possible by relying on various economic activities, especially import and export activities where ports play the major role. The Ministry of Shipping oversees both the country’s maritime and land ports. Has your ministry’s relevance and scope been constantly growing?
Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury: Bangladesh became an independent and sovereign nation on the world map on 16 December 1971, after a nine-month armed Liberation War based on the ideology of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. At that time the Ministry of Communications was established which combined the sectors of railways, shipping and road transport. The Ministry of Communications was later renamed the Ministry of Port, Shipping & IWT due to the expansion of its scope of work. However, in January 1988, the Ministry of Port, Shipping & IWT was renamed the Ministry of Shipping. The Ministry of Shipping is responsible for executing tasks through 12 departments and agencies. These responsibilities include improving control, safety, and navigability in Bangladesh’s waterway communication system, as well as developing seaport management, coordinating dredging projects, developing land ports, expanding international trade by sea and training domestic and international sailors. In addition, under the auspices of the Honourable Prime Minister and with the direction of State Minister for Shipping, a ‘Blue-Economy’ programme has been initiated by the Ministry of Shipping to extract and conserve marine resources. In this regard, short, medium and long term strategic plans have been made.
The Ministry of Shipping oversees several departments and agencies. How is the Ministry dealing with the challenge of keeping so many departments and agencies in sync?
I have already said that there are 12 departments and agencies are involved with the operation of this ministry. This ministry’s responsibilities include:
• management of river ports, seaports and land ports;
• management, development and conservation of lighthouses;
• waterway dredging to maintain navigability;
• installation of buoy lighted indicators and PC poles for safe navigation;
• expansion of maritime trade;
• ensuring inland shipping, marine services and safe movement of water vessels;
• survey and registration of ships;
• development and conservation of navigability in inland waterways;
• necessary education and training in shipping;
• management and maintenance of inland shipping within the mainland and islands;
• coordination and research relating to the ministry;
• enactment of law relating to shipping and navigation;
• collaborating with international organisations and negotiating agreements and memoranda of understanding with a number of organisations.
The vision of the ministry is to ensure world-class management of ports, maritime and inland water transportation. Success follows when there is a strong commitment to the vision, then coordination becomes simple.
The port sector is becoming increasingly vital around the world, and Bangladesh is no exception, as it is the primary driver of development. What is the government’s plan for multidimensional growth in order to boost the port sector’s capacity and efficiency? What potential do you see in Bangladesh as a regional hub for shipping?
We are going forward intending to become a developed country by 2041 after graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status. With this goal in mind, several mega projects are underway in the infrastructure and energy sectors . In addition, the government is establishing hundreds of EZs, SEZs, and EPZs to ensure that a vast volume of imported commodities arrives quickly and easily. When imported commodities reach our maritime territory, the Chittagong Port Authority plays a major role. If we are to maintain the country’s pace of sustainable development, we must ensure that goods are delivered quickly and efficiently. To do so, we’re working on projects to establish connections with the hinterlands, build a multimodal centre, and modernise the port’s existing infrastructure. Environmental issues and the use of fossil fuels are also becoming increasingly sensitive to maritime organisations around the world. In terms of construction, we are taking great care to ensure that no harm is done to the environment. We’re also attempting to ensure that this does not obstruct economic growth.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the years 2020 and 2021 were unprecedented and several of the world’s most major ports came to a halt. In the case of Bangladesh, particularly Chittagong Port, things were different. Even in the throes of the pandemic, the port’s operations did not cease for even a day. Growth has continued even at the end of the fiscal year 2021. What allowed this to happen?
We were able to keep imports and exports running during the pandemic. The Chittagong Port Authority’s timely and inventive plan, as well as its implementation, have made this feasible. Other government agencies, such as the National Board of Revenue (NBR), have also been assisting. To prevent the virus from spreading from ships to the rest of the country, the Chittagong Port Authority has taken preventative steps according to WHO guidelines. To avoid any disruption in import-export activity caused by container congestion, a special task force was formed. The task force made it possible to keep the import-export process moving at a normal pace. Importers were also offered discounts on store rent so that they may release containers from the port premises. To maintain the port operational 24/7, port employees worked in shifts. As a result, despite the pandemic, Chittagong Port was able to maintain growth in cargo, container, and ship handling by the end of the fiscal year 2020-21.
Let’s discuss the Matarbari deep seaport. How optimistic are you that the port will be operational by 2026?
The work on the 18.5-metre channel has already been completed. The breakwater is also ready. Through the channel, ships have begun to berth at the Matabari Coal Power Plant jetty. Nippon Co., a Japanese consultancy firm, began work on the project as a consultant. Everything is progressing smoothly and we hope that by the year 2026, we will be able to start the operation of Matarbari, the first deep seaport of Bangladesh.
What advantages would traders have after the Matarbari deep seaport is completed?
In the case of Bangladeshi exports, the goods are initially transported to Singapore or Colombo through feeder vessels. The goods are then transported on mother vessels to their final destination. In the same way, imported goods arrive in Singapore and are transported to Chittagong Port by feeder vessels. If Matarbari deep seaport becomes operational, mother vessels can dock there. Imported goods can then be transported by lighter ship to Chittagong Port or other destinations, saving time on import-export activities. Traders will benefit as a result of this.
Land ports play an important role both in internal trade and trade with neighbouring countries. Is the Ministry of Shipping considering an integrated policy for land ports and seaports?
There are 23 land ports in Bangladesh for the operation of regional trade and the country shares about 4,000 km border with India. To increase trade with India, the government has chosen to create infrastructure for three new land ports in the districts of Sylhet, Satkhira, and Khagrachhari. The Benapole land port is also being modernised as part of the same initiative. Open yards, warehouses and other infrastructures are being built in these ports to facilitate communication and traffic. Bhutan and Nepal, on the other hand, have expressed interest in utilising Bangladesh’s Chittagong and other seaports. In national policy, an emphasis has been placed on implementing appropriate measures to ensure the integrated management of land ports and seaports.
Logistics facilities and hinterland connectivity are vital aspects of the transportation system. What function does the present hinterland system play in the transportation sector? What initiatives have been implemented to improve hinterland connectivity?
To match pace with the development of maritime ports and international trade, emphasis has to be placed on roads, railways and inland waterways. Hinterland connectivity is largely dependent on various forms of transport systems. In Bangladesh, 80% of commodities are transported by road, 16% by water, and 4% by rail. We must boost the use of waterways, continue road development, and make rail freight transportation more convenient. To do this, we are now engaged in a number of activities, including several megaprojects.
Bangladesh is now in possession of a vast sea area as the maritime boundary has been settled with the neighbouring countries. The Ministry of Shipping has developed short, medium, and long-term strategic plans to capitalise on the ‘Blue-Economy’ potential. What are the plans’ major aspects?
Bangladesh won the maritime delimitation dispute largely due to the success of the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visionary diplomacy. As a result of this verdict, Bangladesh has been able to establish sovereign rights over 118, 813 sq. km of territorial sea area, 200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and all species and non-species resources in the continental shelf up to 354 nautical miles off the coast of Chattogram.
The world’s population will be around 9 billion by 2050. According to researchers, we will have to resort to the sea to feed this population. This is why scholars and experts are attempting to emphasise the value of the Blue Economy. Marine fisheries, flora and fauna are providing 15% protein to 4.3 billion people around the world. Various gas and oil reserves beneath the sea supply about 30% of the world’s gas and fuel. Mineral deposits are among the non-renewable resources found in the oceans. According to various sources, the coast of Bangladesh has about 1.74 million tons of mineral sand worth about USD 1.4 billion. Seawater is used to harvest around half of the world’s magnesium. It is possible to make life-saving medicines from this natural source. Scientists hope that the next generation of medicines will come from the sea. Besides, we are developing and expanding capacity in seaports and deep seaports, improving the efficiency of coastal shipping so it can contribute more to economic development, advancing bilateral and regional Blue Economy agreements, working to expand international shipping through agreements and protocols, and dredging rivers to improve navigability in order to facilitate Blue Economy activities.
Let us now move on to a different topic. The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), which was founded in 1972, has been playing an important role in earning foreign currency as well as delivering diverse goods such as fuel, fertilisers and food grains. The agency fleet, on the other hand, has a relatively small number of ships. What initiatives are you taking to increase the number of ships in the fleet?
The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), founded on 5 February 1972 by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is currently a self-sufficient institution. The government intends to develop BSC, which is listed on both stock exchanges, into one of Southeast Asia’s premier shipping companies. The fleet’s size is being boosted in order to achieve this goal. Six ships have already been added to the BSC fleet, all of which are operated on sea routes and are subsidised by the Chinese government. Three of the ships are product tankers, while the other three are bulk carriers.
More efforts to purchase ships are in the works to strengthen the fleet in the future. The plans for the procurement of two mother bulk carriers with a capacity of 80,000 tons and ten bulk carriers with a capacity of 10,000 to 15,000 tons are certainly noteworthy. Apart from this, a project has also been undertaken to purchase two mother tankers with a capacity of 100,000 tons to 125,000 tons for the transportation of crude oil of Eastern Refinery Limited. Additionally, in order to transport diesel and jet fuel imported by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, two mother oil tankers with a capacity of 80,000 tons will be purchased.
LNG is being imported to meet the country’s burgeoning fuel needs. As a result, BSC intends to expand its fleet with six LNG vessels to transport imported LNG. Two are 140,000 cubic metres, two are 174,000 cubic metres, and the remaining two are 180,000 cubic metres.
BIMSTEC member countries are now discussing the benefits of feeder service. In light of this, a new project for the procurement of four new cellular container ships with a capacity of 1,200 to 1,500 TEUs each has been launched. Cellular container ships will be built with the assistance of the Danish government. If this project is implemented, BSC will be transformed into a strong international shipping company.
The Department of Shipping is the most important agency under the Ministry of Shipping. The Department is in charge of various matters including providing Certificate of Competency (COC), Certificate of Proficiency (COP), Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) and certificates for other qualifications of sailors. It’s time to go beyond the old ways of doing things and digitise these services. What is the government’s initiative in this regard?
In today’s age, it’s important for the Department of Shipping to digitise everything so that the procedure becomes simple and efficient. We have made progress in this regard. Certificate applications for sailors onboard ocean-going ships and inland ships, such as COCs and COPs, are now accepted online. Besides, information on the certificate’s status is sent to the applicant by text messaging. Apart from this, arrangements have been made for online submission of various types of applications including sailors’ examinations, Safe Manning Certificate, Ship Surveyor Certificate and others. Sign-on and sign-off programmes have also been introduced online for sailors.
Steps have also been taken to stop CDC fraud. In order to prevent counterfeiting, CDCs are now printed by machines rather than by hands on special paper with security features such as ultraviolet, micro security line, anti-photocopy and quick response code.
Skilled manpower is the only way to succeed in any industry. What steps has the ministry taken to develop skilled manpower for the shipping industry?
The Marine Academy and the National Maritime Institute under the Ministry of Shipping are conducting activities to train skilled manpower. The Bangladesh Marine Academy has been preparing sailors and marine officers for 4 decades. Maritime disciplines are also taught at several maritime institutes and some science and technology-related universities. Following this and after the maritime boundary settlement with our neighbouring countries under the guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the first maritime university named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was established in 2013. The government is correctly addressing the skilled manpower deficit.
Almost two decades ago, the existing national shipping policy was developed. On the other hand, both domestically and globally, there have been significant changes in the infrastructure and features of the shipping sector. Experts also believe that now is the best time to develop a new shipping policy. What are your views on the topic?
There is a pressing need to modernise our existing shipping policy, and there is no other option than to liberalise the shipping industry with encouragement in order to maintain our economy’s vibrancy. Bangladesh is a riverine and coastal country with a developing demand for a robust and appropriate shipping policy to transport local commodities, passengers, and to facilitate international feeder shipping. The policy is required for commercial development and increased export earnings. Over the last 10 years, the shipping industry has provided a significant number of jobs. Furthermore, the shipping industry’s contribution to national revenue is evident and it has made indisputable contributions to internationalising our economy. The government is taking measures and this policy dilemma will undoubtedly be resolved shortly.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to CPA News .
Thank you, too. CPA News’ continuous efforts over the last several years to solidify the maritime sensitisation practice are very admirable.
