Western Marine Shipyard started the construction work of a container vessel on Thursday, which will transport goods from Chittagong Port to Dhaka.
This is the first time the company will build a container ship for domestic use. Earlier the shipbuilder made a number of sea vessels for foreign buyers.
Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed inaugurated the construction work at a keel laying ceremony at the shipyard in Patiya.
The container vessel with a capacity of 134 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) will be owned by Mir & Islam Enterprise, a private entrepreneur.
Naval Chief Vice Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed said shipbuilding will be a major contributing sector to help the government achieve its “Vision 2021” goals.
Terming Bangladesh a maritime country, he said, if the shipbuilding industry grows, the maritime capacity of the country would increase further.
Danish Ambassador Svend Olling said shipbuilders like Western Marine are showing the way for Bangladesh to go forward to become a middle-income country in near future.
He said Bangladesh can do well in maritime business with its developing ship building sector.
Western Marine Managing Director Sakhawat Hossain underscored the need for developing river routes for transporting goods as such routes will be much cheaper than roads and railways.
Developed river routes will play a major role in reducing traffic jam on highways and contain environment pollution, Sakhawat added.
Western Marine Chairman Saiful Islam was also present.
-With The Daily Star input
