Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the largest Passenger ship constructed by Western Marine for BIWTC

Chittagong, 29 March 2014: The Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina inaugurated M.V. Bangali, the largest passenger ship for Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corp. (BIWTC). M.V. BANGALI is the highest capacity passenger ship added in the fleet of BIWTC capable of carrying 754 passengers. Through inauguration of BANGALI Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally experienced a river voyage from Dhaka to Chandpur. Several ministers & high officials of the Government accompanied the Prime Minister in this voyage.

This is the first time passenger ship of this capacity has been built by a Bangladeshi shipbuilder, Western Marine Shipyard Ltd. The ship will carry passengers in one of busiest river route in Bangladesh from Dhaka to Barisal. It is an initiative by the government to enhance the inland waterway transportation system of Bangladesh. It is believed addition of this ship will reduce this crisis of traffic congestion & people will be more interested in travelling by river routes.

The ship is 75m in length & has a draft of only 1.8m ensuring her navigability in shallow water. The ship has 1 fully air-conditioned VIP lounge with 4 VIP suites having attached toilets. Besides there are 38 first class air-conditioned cabins, 16 second class cabins, dining areas, second class sitting arrangements for 84 passengers and 3 conventional open deck to accommodate 550 passengers.

The Prime Minister was happy to see the quality of the ship and added that such ship will add to our capacity in the inland route transportation. She also expressed that it is a pride as Bangladeshi shipbuilders are building vessels for our domestic use & also for the export market. She emphasized saying the local shipbuilders should build more vessels to meet the domestic demand.

The Chairman highlighted saying that Western Marine is building vessels of various type for the international market including New Zealand & Danish buyer. He mentioned Western Marine ensures the best quality in shipbuilding which has led them in to the international market & they are willing to build more vessels for domestic use rather having these vessels imported spending our hard earned foreign currency.

Another Jewel in the crown of Western Marine Shipyard

Western Marine has marked another achievement for themselves & the entire shipbuilding industry of the nation by laying the 130th keel of the shipyard. This keel has been laid for a passenger ship on the 19th of February 2014 which is being built for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. The ship will be used by Tokealau which is known as a non-self governing territory of New Zealand. Mr. Anisul Islam Mahmud, the Minister for Water Resources was the Chief Guest in the function & Mr. Neaz Ahmed the Honorary Consul of New Zealand attended the occasion as a Special Guest. The shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh has stepped into the Pacific by securing this new order.

Keel laying ceremony in the shipbuilding industry marks the ceremonial inauguration of a ship’s construction work. The distinguished guests in the occasion in presence of the shipyard personnel & representatives of New Zealand Ministry (the ship owner) hammered on a bottom part of the ship formally calling the keel laying or inaugurating the construction work. Mr. Harry Stronach representative of New Zealand Ministry has expressed his best wishes for this newbuilding project & hoped that the yard will deliver the final product on time. The contract value of the project is USD 6.6 Million (equivalent to BDT 52 crore) & the shipyard expects to complete the project by December 2014. The Southeast Bank Limited is the financial partner of the shipyard in this project.

The Chief Guest in his address highly admired the work of Western Marine & how they are contributing to the economy by exporting such high-end product which has given Bangladesh a new global recognition. The Special Guest mentioned that it is great day for us as this celebration has enhanced the bilateral trade between New Zealand & Bangladesh.

The Shipyard Chairman Saiful Islam thanked the government bodies & government officials of Bangladesh for patronizing the infant shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh which has led the industry in securing such remarkable foreign orders. The Managing Director Mr. Sakhawat Hossain applauded this celebration as “a new jewel in the crown of Western Marine Shipyard”, he mentioned that this will be the 130th ship of this yard & it will be remarked as the first ship built by Bangladesh for use in Pacific.

The ship will be built under class Lloyd’s Register, UK & it is to be a full SOLAS passenger ship which means the ship will have highest safety measures considering all possible risks at sea. The ship will be having a carrying capacity of 60 passengers in addition to 50 tonnes of cargo and supplies. Considering the sea state & duration of the voyage, passenger comfort will be the highest priority while building this vessel. The 43 m long ship will be spacious to provide maximum comfort to the passengers. Environment friendliness is also a prime concern for the ship as per the Class Notation. Thus, modern technologies will be used to minimize fuel burning. Therefore, achievement of such newbuilding contract has taken the shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh to a new dimension.

City Mayor Manjur applaued Western Marine Shipyard while visiting along with a Tanzanian Delegation

The shipyard Chairman Mr. Saiful Islam mentioned that Africa is a big market for the Bangladesh shipbuilding industry & through patronization of Bangladesh government we should explore their market further which shall be beneficial for our bilateral trade adding value in our For Ex.

Western Marine Managing Director Mr. Sakhawat Hossain said that the global shipbuilding was at recession & now the market is once again emerging. He mentioned Western Marine has signed contract with Tanzania & New Zealand in the last year & they are expecting to secure more orders from the African market in 2014. He mentioned that the industry is looking forward to see its golden days once again.

The Tanzanian Regional Commissioner thanked the shipyard team for arranging the visit & mentioned that there are lots of business opportunities in Tanzania & he invited a delegation from Bangladesh to visit Tanzania & explore their market for better business opportunities. At his address he further mentioned that the quality of shipbuilding is very good in Bangladesh & this industry can expect many more newvbuilding orders from Tanzania.

The Chief Guest in his address expressed his gratitude toward the Tanzanian delegation for visiting Chittagong and he said that there are lots of opportunities in Chittagong which the delegation will find interesting & he also admired the work of Western Marine & the way the shipyard is contributing in development of Chittagong & the national economy.

Western Marine inaugurates the construction work of another container ship for Pangaon Inland Container Terminal

Statistics say that last year Chittagong port received 15lac TEUs of containers which is also growing by 15% per annum & it will reach an optimum level of 30lac in the coming years. 90% of these goods are transferred to various destinations within the country either by rail or road. Launching of inland container ships will shift this overload from our highways to the river route.

Keel Hammering for one 176 TEUs container vessel for Aryan Trades[/caption]The ships will make a major contribution in our economy for port service enhancement & at the same time she will play a major role in reduction of traffic density in highways by transporting the mass imported goods by river. This way for the first time container ships will ply in our inland channels, which has never been experienced before.

Western Fishers Shipyard signs deal with Agro Food Services Limited for another fishing vessel

Western Fishers Shipyard Limited & Agro Food Services Limited signed agreement for building another fishing vessel on 24 December 2013. Western Fishers is a joint venture concern of Western Marine & Fishers Shipyard. The shipyard has already built three Deep Sea Mid-Water Fishing Vessels for Agro Food Services, a sister concern of Sea Resources Group. F.T. Agro Food-1, F.T. Agro Food-3 & F.T. Agro Food-4 were delivered to their owner on June 2013. These vessels are in operation at present and have been proven to be very much efficient in their services. Consequently a new agreement has been signed between the two parties for building the fourth ship of the series F.T. Agro Food-2. The deal was signed by the Chairman of Sea Resources Group Mr. A Rouf Chowdhury & the Managing Director of Western Fisher Shipyard Limited Mr. Sakhawat Hossain. The Director of Western Fishers Shipyard Mr. Saiful Islam & the Director of Sea Resources Group Mrs. Zakia Rouf Chowdhury was also present during the contract signing ceremony.
The ship will be built at a cost of BDT 240 million & expected to be delivered by 18 months. She will be 41M in length & her design has been uniquely developed & verified by an Icelandic designer considering the weather conditions & sea state of the Bay of Bengal. She will be capable to operate in the rough Bay of Bengal and shall be able to ply in much deeper sea.
Western Fishers Shipyard is already building more nine fishing vessels. All these vessels are worth of BDT3billion. These fishing vessels are being built for four different private owners for operating in the Bay of Bengal. They are expected to be delivered by mid of 2014
Unlike other imported fishing vessels in Bangladesh theses ships are being custom made to operate in the Bangladeshi fishing zone considering all the challenges in fishing in this sea. These trawlers are equipped with advanced machinery which makes the vessel fit for fishing in the Bay of Bengal even in monsoon period. Each vessel will be able to carry & store 300 tons of fish having hi-tech European refrigeration system including processing deck, slurry ice machine, chill water maker, blast freezer and store freezer will be able to maintain the freshness of the caught fish & ensure its best quality. This way Bangladesh will be able to export better quality sea food.

Western Marine Shipyard Limited set sail in the Pacific

The ship will be built for Tokelau, a non- self governing territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. The Administration of Tokelau will use the ship to carry passengers from Tokelau to Samoa Islands which is a voyage of few days. The contract value of the project is USD 6.6 Million (equivalent to BDT 52 crore) & the shipyard expects to complete the project by December 2014.

Through this contract signing for the first time a Bangladeshi shipyard will export a ship which has been designed to sail in the Pacific Ocean. She will be built under class Lloyd’s Register, UK & it is to be a full SOLAS passenger which means the ship will have highest safety measures considering all possible risks at sea. The ship will be having a carrying capacity of 60 passengers in addition to 50 tonnes of cargo and supplies. Considering the sea state & duration of the voyage, passenger comfort will be the highest priority while building this vessel. The 43 m long ship will be spacious to provide maximum comfort to the passengers, equipped with 24 bunk beds, 16 reclining seats, a children’s play area, open deck area for passengers, a sick bay and a comfortable accommodation for12 crew. The ship will also be able to carry five nos. of 10ft containers including 2 reefer containers and a crane for loading/unloading cargo will also be provided. Environment friendliness is also a prime concern for the ship as per the Class Notation. Thus, modern technologies will be used to minimize fuel burning. Therefore, achievement of such newbuilding contract has taken the shipbuilding industry to a new dimension.

Western Marine inks deal for newbuilding of inland container feeder vessel

Western Marine Shipyard has signed a new agreement for newbuilding of one more container ship. This ship will be constructed for Aryan Traders Ltd. The deal was signed by the Technical Director of Western Marine Shipyard Mr. Arifur Rahman Khan and the Managing Director of Aryan Traders Mr. Hasan Saife Jalil on behalf of their respective organizations. The ships will be having a carrying capacity of 176 TEUs of container. She will carry containers from Chittagong Port to Pangaon Inland Container Terminal (PICT). So far Western Marine has secured orders for building 6 container ships & 3 are under construction in the shipyard.

This ship will be built at a cost of BDT22crore. She will be built under Germanischer Lloyd class, especially designed for carrying containers in inland route of Bangladesh & coastal region. The drawing & design of the container vessels has been approved by Department of Shipping as it complies the rule of navigation in Chittagong-Pangaon route. To be mentioned ships which will ply in the route of Chittagong Port to Pangaon has limitation of draft & length, this limitation relates to the ship’s carrying capacity & speed. Western Marine designed container ships are perfectly fit for the said route considering all the possible obstructions. The container ships being built at Western Marine are 82meter in length & they will be able to carry 176TEUs of containers at a draft of 3.5m. They will have a maximum speed of 10knots.

Operation of container vessels in Chittagong to Dhaka will reduce traffic density in the Dhaka – Chittagong highway. Previously inbound containers in Chittagong Port used to be transported to other parts of the country either by road or railway. Introduction of these ships will reduce 15% of traffic congestion in our highways from growing trade every year. Further freight cost will drop as container carrying cost is cheaper by river route than road or by rail.

Western Marine received National Export Trophy

Local shipbuilders grabbing more orders for inland container vessels

Currently these vessels are either under process of newbuilding or under process of secondhand ship acquisition from abroad. As the local shipbuilding industry is at a boom since past years & they have even successfully exported ships to Europe in the recent past, the shipbuilders have already secured orders of more than 10 vessels.
Western Marine being the pioneer in this sector has grabbed orders for 6 inland container ships. The drawing & design of the container vessels has been approved by class Germanisher Lloyd & Department of Shipping & it complies the rule of the Department. To be mentioned ships which will ply in the route of Chittagong Port to Pangaon has limitation of draft & length, this limitation relates to the ship’s carrying capacity & speed. Western Marine designed container ships are perfectly fit for the said route considering all the possible obstructions.
The management of Western Marine said that they have signed contracts for building 6 container ships & 2 of them are under constructions which are expected to come to operation from September 2014. They are hopeful they will be able to secure more orders of these ships as they are in negotiation for building 6 more ships to fill up their capacity. The container ships being built at Western Marine are 82meter in length & they will be able to carry 176TEUs of containers at a draft of 3.5m. They will have a maximum speed of 10knots.
To be mentioned operation of these container vessels is a major step taken by the government of Bangladesh to control the growing traffic density in the Dhaka – Chittagong highway. Previously inbound containers in Chittagong Port used to be transported to other parts of the country either by road or railway. Introduction of these ships will reduce 15% of traffic congestion in our highways from growing trade every year. Further freight cost will drop as container carrying cost is cheaper by river route than road or by rail.

Western Fishers building fishing trawlers worth of BDT 300 crore

Western Fishers has already completed the construction work of four fishing trawlers. These trawlers have even completed their sea trial successfully. They are to start their commercial operation very soon. Another two vessels has been recently launched, one on 22^nd September 2013 & the other on 3^rd October 2013. More two vessels will be launched within the current week. Rest 5 vessels are still under construction, which the shipyard is expecting to launch by November 2013.

The trawlers Western Fishers is building are of two types. One design is of 41m & the other 42m. Out of twelve vessels, five of them are designed for 42m & rest seven vessels 41m. These designs have been uniquely developed & verified by an Icelandic designer considering the weather condition & sea state of the Bay of Bengal. These ships are called Deep Sea Mid Water Fishing Trawler. They will be capable to operate in the rough Bay of Bengal and shall be able to ply in much deeper sea.

Unlike other imported fishing trawlers in Bangladesh theses ships are being custom made to operate in the Bangladeshi fishing zone considering all the challenges in fishing in this sea. These trawlers are equipped with advanced machinery which makes the vessel fit for fishing in the Bay of Bengal even in monsoon period. Each vessel will be able to carry & store 300 tons of fish having hi-tech European refrigeration system including processing deck, slurry ice machine, chill water maker, blast freezer and store freezer will be able to maintain the freshness of the caught fish & ensure its best quality. This way Bangladesh will be able to export better quality sea food.