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Bangladesh observed World Maritime Day 2026 under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”, with a focus on engineering, technology, safety, environmental sustainability and international competitiveness in the maritime sector.
The theme, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for 2026 and 2027, highlights the need to translate international maritime regulations into national laws, effective enforcement, training and day-to-day operations.
The event was organised by the Department of Shipping under the Ministry of Shipping. President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman issued separate messages marking the occasion.
Their messages stressed the importance of skilled manpower, modern ports, effective regulation, maritime safety, environmental protection, digital technology and implementation of international maritime standards.
Shipping Minister, Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam attended the event as chief guest at a Dhaka hotel on September 27, while Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Khandker Mesbah-ul-Azim was the special guest.
In his speech, Sheikh Rabiul said the success of policies, plans and international commitments ultimately depended on effective implementation. Ratifying international conventions and enacting laws alone were not enough, he said, stressing the need for safer ships, modern and cleaner ports, skilled seafarers, stronger regulation and sustainable maritime trade.
He called for modernisation and automation of Bangladesh’s ports, expansion of their capacity and reduction of cargo-handling time. He also stressed strengthening the Department of Shipping’s inspection and regulatory capacity and bringing flag State and port State control activities in line with international standards.
The minister described Bangladeshi seafarers as one of the country’s key maritime resources and said continued investment in their welfare, training, certification and professional skills would be maintained.
He also stressed sustainable inland and coastal shipping, prevention of river pollution and safer navigation.
The Chief of Naval Staff highlighted the close link between maritime security and economic prosperity. He said port development, maritime trade, fisheries, offshore resources and the blue economy depended on a safe and stable maritime environment.
He called for stronger maritime security, information sharing, Maritime Domain Awareness and coordination among relevant agencies. He also highlighted Bangladesh’s shipbuilding capabilities and the contribution of Bangladeshi seafarers worldwide.
The event was told that Chattogram Port currently handles around 3.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers annually. Matarbari Deep Sea Port is expected to add around 4 million TEUs of future capacity and is targeted to begin operations in 2029.
The port is expected to accommodate mother vessels of around 230 metres in length with capacities of 8,000 to 10,000 TEUs, potentially reducing transport times and logistics costs and strengthening Bangladesh’s links with regional and global supply chains.
Speakers also highlighted Bangladesh’s roughly 6,000-kilometre inland waterway network as an important economic and communications asset. They stressed the need for a safe, environmentally sustainable and technology-driven inland shipping system linking seaports, coastal routes and inland waterways.
Progress in the ship recycling sector was also discussed. Following the entry into force of the Hong Kong International Convention, 24 ship recycling yards in Bangladesh have reportedly achieved compliance, while another 20 are undergoing certification.
The authorities said they remained committed to developing the sector while maintaining safety, worker welfare and environmental standards.
Bangladesh has also acceded to three international maritime conventions relating to compensation for oil and bunker pollution and the removal of shipwrecks. Work is continuing to modernise national maritime laws, regulations and institutional capacity.
With support from the IMO’s GreenVoyage2050 programme, Bangladesh has begun preparing a national action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. The initiative includes low-carbon fuels, energy efficiency, electrification of port operations and environmentally responsible ship recycling.
The IMO says the 2026-27 theme also covers safety and new technologies, decarbonisation, digitalisation, cybersecurity and marine environmental protection.
The event also highlighted progress in maritime education and training. Fifteen maritime academies and training institutions and one maritime university are currently engaged in producing seafarers, marine engineers and port-management professionals.
More than 138 women cadets have graduated from Bangladesh’s maritime academies since 2014, while around 50 women cadets are currently undergoing training each year.
The authorities also announced plans to expand the capacity of the Department of Shipping’s Joint Rescue and Coordination Centre for maritime accident response, search and rescue, vessel identification and coordinated communication.
A plan to gradually introduce digital registration and tracking of inland vessels was also highlighted as a way to improve vessel identification, safety monitoring, emergency response and navigation management.
Speakers said coordinated efforts by the government, Bangladesh Navy, port authorities, the Department of Shipping, shipowners, shipping companies, ship-management firms, ship recyclers, maritime academies and seafarers would be essential to turning Bangladesh’s maritime potential into economic gains.