Bangladesh Coast Guard News

At least 32 ethnic Rohingya died on a ship that drifted for weeks after it failed to reach Malaysia, Bangladesh coast guard officials said on Thursday, following the rescue of 396 starving survivors.A human rights group said it believed more boats carrying Rohingya - a Muslim minority - were adrift at sea, with coronavirus lockdowns in Malaysia and Thailand making it harder for them to find refuge."They were at sea for about two months and were starving," a Bangladesh coastguard official told Reuters in a message…

Two Minerva class corvettes decommissioned by the Italian Navy have been delivered to the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) following upgrade and conversion at the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano, La Spezia. Urania and Danaide, renamed Karamuzzaman and Mansoor Ali, are the final two units part of the supply contract of four offshore patrol vessels (OPV), to the BCG, which have been retired from the national fleet in March 2016. Together with Minerva and Sibilla, renamed Syed Nazrul and Tajuddin and delivered in August 2016…

Fincantieri has delivered today at its shipyard in Muggiano, La Spezia the first two units part of the supply contract of four Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), to the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG), through the upgrading and conversion of the Minerva class corvettes, decommissioned by the Italian Navy. These are the Minerva and Sibilla vessels, renamed Syed Nazrul and Tajuddin, which have been retired from the national fleet in May 2015 and shortly after arrived at Fincantieri’s dock in Genova, where the upgrading and conversion activities started.

Fincantieri has been awarded the contract with the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) for the supply of four Italian Navy “Minerva” class corvettes to be upgraded and converted into Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), and to provide the related logistics support services. These units, which will be decommissioned by the Italian Navy and replaced by the new vessels covered by the fleet renewal program, have been remised by the Italian Navy through a reselling contract executed by the Central Unit for Naval Armament and Fincantieri. The last lowering of the flag of the first couple of vessels "Minerva" and "Sibilla" was held last 14 May in Augusta. Present at the ceremony the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Admiral De Giorgi.

A delegation of Bangladesh Coast Guard is on a two-day visit to Kolkata as part of the ongoing cooperation between the coast guards of the two neighbours, aimed at exploring avenues for common approach to maritime issues in the region, reports Economic Times. A release from the Coast Guard said that Rear Admiral Mohammad Makbul Hossain, Director General Bangladesh Coast Guard led the Bangladesh delegation comprising officials from Bangladesh Coast Guard and Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs during its two-day visit. The delegation visited the Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (North East) in Kolkata and interacted with Inspector General V.S.R. Murthy, Commander - Coast Guard Region.

Attacks against small tankers off South East Asia’s coasts caused a rise in global ship hijackings, up to 21 in 2014 from 12 in 2013, despite piracy at sea falling to its lowest level in eight years, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed. Pirates took 442 crewmembers hostage, compared with 304 in 2013. IMB’s annual piracy report shows 245 incidents were recorded worldwide in 2014 – a 44% drop since Somali piracy peaked in 2011. Somali pirates were responsible for 11 attacks, all of which were thwarted. However, IMB warns shipmasters to follow the industry’s Best Management Practices, as the threat of Somali piracy has not been eliminated. Worldwide, 21 vessels were hijacked last year, 183 were boarded, and 13 fired upon.

A Bangladeshi river ferry with around 200 passengers on board capsized in a storm on Thursday, killing at least 12 people, and a rescue diver said he had seen more bodies inside the wreck. Police said some 40 people had swum ashore as the M.V. Miraj-4 capsized in high winds and rain on the Meghna river near the capital Dhaka. Most of the passengers were city workers and students heading home for the weekend beginning on Friday. "We fear there will be more bodies inside the vessel and we cannot be sure of the number of passengers (on board)," Saiful Hassan Badal, Deputy Commissioner of Munshiganj district, told Reuters by telephone from the scene.

Piracy at sea has reached its lowest levels in six years, with 264 attacks recorded worldwide in 2013, a 40% drop since Somali piracy peaked in 2011, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said. Just 15 incidents were reported off Somalia in 2013, down from 75 in 2012, and 237 in 2011. IMB’s annual global piracy report shows more than 300 people were taken hostage at sea last year and 21 were injured, nearly all with guns or knives. A total of 12 vessels were hijacked, 202 were boarded, 22 were fired upon and a further 28 reported attempted attacks.

According to reports, Bangladesh has launched joint operations of the Coast Guard and Navy to capture pirates in the Bay of Bengal in the wake of increasing criminal activity by sea robbers. More than 3,000 members of the Coast Guard and the Navy, along with some 17 naval vessels, will be participating in the joint operations. According to an official source, the offshore police stations and outposts have been kept on high alert to ensure that the pirates will be unable to take shelter in offshore areas during the operation. The combined operations are being carried out after identifying strategic points within the Bay of Bengal; however, as of Sunday, no reports of arrests had been received.