CHITTAGONG, Nov 26: Bangladesh’s leading ship building company, Western Marine Shipyard, delivered today two ocean-going vessels to its German owner, Grona Shipping GmbH Co KG.
Saiful Islam, chairman of Western Marine Shipyard finally delivered the twin vessels – Grona Ammersum and Grona Biessum – the ever-largest ships built by a Bangladeshi company to Markku Vedder, representative of Grona Shipping at a handing-over ceremony held at the Chittagong Dry Dock.
Minister of Industries Dilip Barua was present at the function as the chief guest while Martin Biesel, State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and Holger Michael, German Ambassador to Bangladesh were present as the special guests.
The 100 metre-long 5200 DWT ice class vessels were built in compliance with all the latest International Maritime (IMO) guidelines under the supervision of class Germanischer Lloyd. The vessels went for a successful sea trial on November 15.
Addressing the function, Dilip Barua said the government is actively considering to establish a special shipbuilding zone to promote this 100 per cent export-oriented sector with the aim of earning US$5.00 billion a year in the form of export receipts by 2015.
He said considering the potential of ship building sector, the government has declared ship-building as a thrust sector.
The minister also said Bangladesh Bank has been waiting for a green signal from the ministry of finance to fund the ship building sector under a Tk 2000 million refinancing scheme.
“The country’s shipyards have made us proud by creating a new image of Bangladesh before the world and international ship market”, Dilip Barua said.
He noted the building of multipurpose specialized ice vessels at a local shipyard for the international market is a great achievement in advancing the country’s shipbuilding sector that is earning a considerable amount of foreign exchange and creating jobs.
Martin Biesel termed the ship building a great success story for Bangladesh. He said it will encourage the potential German investors to invest in Bangladesh.
German Ambassador Holger Michael said at the function the shipbuilding industry in Bangladesh has achieved an international reputation by means of coherent policies at local, regional and international level.
Western Marine MD Sakhawat Hossain said each vessel was made up of 1500 MT of ice class steel and took one million man-hours to build. Each vessel consumed 60 MT of welding electrodes and 22 kilometres of electric cable laid inside her body.
He commended the role of Lars Brennek of East Wind project management of Germany, who handled 38 suppliers, seven bankers with 131 L/Cs and did total management work in its totality efficiently over the last three years.
Western Marine chairman Saiful Islam said the ship building sector can increase the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by at least 3.0 per cent within next six years as the sector has been showing a great potential to become its largest foreign exchange earning sector.
“When other sectors are facing stiff competition in the international market, the ship building is silently but steadily moving ahead. The sector will be the driving force for the socio-economic uplift in our country,” he said.
Among others owners of the vessel Markku Vedder, Mahfuz Anam, editor of the Daily Star, quality management director Jalal Khaled and technical director of Western Marine also spoke at the programme.
Minister Dilip Barua later cut a cake with the guests and visited different parts of the ships.
Mainuddin Khan Badal, MP, Shamsul Huq Chowdhury, MP, M A Latif, MP, former advisor to caretaker government and Editor of Daily Independent Mahbubul Alam, Daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, Daily Azadi Editor M A Malek, Daily Purbokone Editor Architect Taslim Uddin Chowdhury and CPA Chairman Commodore R U Ahmed attended the function as special guests, among others.
Ice class multipurpose cargo vessels are equipped for carrying containers and strengthened for heavy cargo using local technology, professionals and manpower.
In 2008, WMSL received orders from Grona Shipping GmbH Co KG for building 12 vessels at a cost of over Taka 9.00 billion (900 crore).
Built at a cost of Taka 1.60 billion (160 crore), the two vessels that were handed over today are the first two of the 12 ships.
