Shipping department modernised with new maritime safety infrastructure: Adviser
City Desk :
Shipping and Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain today said the activities of the Shipping Department have been modernised and made time-befitting.
He made the remarks while inaugurating the Joint Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (JMRCC) at the Shipping Department headquarters in Agargaon. The centre was established under the Establishment of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System and Integrated Maritime Navigation System (EGIMNS) project, implemented by the Shipping Department.
As part of the programme, the adviser also inaugurated seven coastal radio stations and seven lighthouses set up in key coastal areas. These facilities are located in Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martin’s Island, Kutubdia, Char Kukri Mukri, Nijhum Dwip, Dublar Char and Kuakata.
The EGIMNS project has been jointly financed by the Government of Bangladesh and the Korean Economic Development Fund (KEDF).
Speaking at the event, the adviser described the EGIMNS project as an epoch-making initiative that will significantly enhance Bangladesh’s maritime security and its ability to provide timely rescue assistance to ships and sailors in distress along the coast, reports BSS.
He said that through the implementation of this project, Bangladesh has gained the capacity to conduct marine search and rescue operations in line with modern international standards.
The project also enables the country to meet the mandatory requirements of the Search and Rescue Convention introduced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which will further strengthen Bangladesh’s image in the global shipping community.
Director General of the Shipping Department Commodore M Shafiul Bari, Project Director Ship Surveyor and Examiner M Abul Bashar, and senior officials from the Ministry of Shipping, Planning Commission, Economic Relations Division, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard were present at the ceremony.
Deputy Chief of Mission of the South Korean Embassy in Bangladesh and the Head of Korea Exim Bank Bangladesh also attended the event representing the Korean government.