Industry Minister Nurul Majid has said, marine and offshore industry should adopt modern technology in order to exploit the potentials of the blue economy.
He said this while inaugurating the Bangladesh International Marine and Offshore Expo-2022 (BIMOX-2022) at Bashundhara International Convention City in Dhaka on Thursday.
Minister said, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman laid down the foundation of the ‘Future Maritime Bangladesh’ by enacting the ‘Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act’ in 1974. Consequently, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the able-daughter of Bangabandhu, peacefully resolved the delimitation issue with Myanmar in 2012 and with India in 2014 respectively.
Minister for Industries said, Bangladesh has attained global recognition as a shipbuilding and exporting nation through the good performance of the marine and offshore industry which can contribute more to the economy.
The three-day long exhibition on ship-building, maritime engineering, offshore engineering and technology, shipbreaking equipment, port and related logistics and technology was jointly organised for the fourth time by Savor International Limited of Bangladesh and Fireworks Trade Media Group from Singapore to boost business opportunities between local organisations and foreign companies in the marine and offshore Industry. More than 160 organisations from 14 countries took part in the exhibition.
At present, nearly 10,000 inland and coastal ships and 36 foreign going ships ply all over the country, which carries more than 90 per cent of total oil product, 70 percent of cargo and 35 percent of passengers. More than 150,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers are employed in this labour-intensive sector.
