India to Use Bangladeshi Ports
India can now use two crucial Bangladesh ports - Chattogram and Mongla - for shipment of its cargo, which will cut time and cost significantly, India's shipping minister Mansukh Lal Mandavia said.He has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy initiative regarding use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports in Bangladesh for movement of goods to and from India will bring revolutionary cost-cutting in shipments to and from the North Eastern States.During the official visit of Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of People's Republic of Bangladesh to India , a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) wherein Bangladesh allowed the use…
Bangladesh Inks Deal with Indonesia for LNG Imports
Bangladesh signed an agreement with Indonesia on Sunday to open talks on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as the South Asian country turns to the supercooled fuel to fill a shortfall of domestic natural gas. A letter of intent was signed between two state energy companies, Petrobangla and Pertamina, after a meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who arrived in Dhaka on Saturday. Bangladesh, a country of more than 160 million people…
Bangladesh’s First 2 Submarines Commissioned
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially has commissioned the two China-made 035G diesel-electric submarines – BNS Nabajatra and BNS Joyjatra. With the addition of the submarines, the Bangladesh Navy can, for the first time, be considered a “three-dimensional force.” Prime Minister said the government has already taken various short- and long-term plans to build Bangladesh Navy as a three-dimensional force by 2030. The premier later laid the foundation stone of a submarine base in Pekua in the coastal city of Cox’s Bazar. The Type 035G-class submarines, also known as Ming-class, were reportedly assembled at the Dalian state’s Liaonan shipyard.
After India, China Wants Maritime Deal with Bangladesh
China has approached Bangladesh to sign a deal on blue economy and maritime cooperation in the Bay of Bengal, days after Dhaka and New Delhi signed such an accord. Media reports quote an unnamed senior Foreign Ministry official saying that Dhakka received a Chinese proposal on Wednesday to forge an alliance on blue economy. Bangladesh and India signed a memorandum of understanding on blue economy and maritime cooperation in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean on June 6 in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. “We are now scrutinizing the proposal and hope to come to a conclusion as soon as possible,” the official said. As Bangladesh lacks efficiency and capability in the marine sector, it approached China in these efforts long before.
India to Strengthen Naval Co-operation with Bangladesh
In a move towards strengthening its defence ties with Bangladesh, India will be exploring new avenues for naval cooperation towards achieving comprehensive maritime security in the Bay of Bengal. To this effect, Indian Chief of Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan reached Bangladesh on a four-day visit to consolidate the bilateral defence ties. Dhowan paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Sangsad Bhaban office on Monday. At the meeting, he observed that the partnership between Bangladesh Navy and Indian Navy is excellent and there are many things to learn from this partnership. The Chief of Naval Staff is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with the three Service Chiefs at Dhaka as well as call on the President during his stay at Bangladesh.
Port-Evo Proposes Hefty Bangladesh Port Development Investment
British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Northern Ireland William Hague made the proposal when he met the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her hotel suite. She is in London to attend the Olympics. The proposal was made to develop the Mongla port under joint venture with Mongla Port Authorities. Port-Evo wants to invest for river dredging, procurement of new harbour cranes, container terminals, oil tank storage and water treatment plant. They also proposed establishing an oil and gas-fired power station costing $ 450 million and a special economic zone. Sheikh Hasina said the UK, the third largest destination of Bangladesh’s exports, is a time-tested friend and major development partner of Bangladesh.
Danish Support for Shipbuilding Assured
According to an April 14 from The New Nation, Denmark has assured Bangladesh of providing more support to the country's power, energy, ship building industry and trade and business sectors for socio- economic development of Bangladesh. The assurance came when the visiting Danish Development and Cooperation Minister Soren Pind paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (Source: The New Nation)
Day-Long Strike Deals Blow To Bangladesh Shipping
A day-long nationwide strike called by Bangladesh's opposition parties last Tuesday (Nov. 16) dealt a fresh blow to the country's shipping sector, already hit by political unrest in the country, officials and traders said. "Fifty ships including 11 carrying about 150,000 tons of foodgrains were stranded at berths and at the outer anchorages on Tuesday," said Mohsin Sarkar, traffic director of Chittagong Port, which handles 80 percent of the country's exports and imports. More than 10,000 tons of ready-made garments and frozen foods were awaiting export at the port on Tuesday, he said. Sarkar said cargo handling has slowed and the maximum "stay time" for a ship has shot up to 15 days from earlier five days due to frequent strikes.
