Online Desk:
Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus said that Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) must be a strong and profitable organization.
He said this at a ceremony to hand over a cheque of Tk 234.7 million to Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday (January 14, 2025) for the installments and the government’s dues from the dividend declared in the 2024-2025 fiscal year as per the Subsidiary Loan Agreement (SLA) signed to repay the loan taken for the 6 ship purchase projects implemented by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) under the Ministry of Shipping.
Shipping Advisor M Sakhawat Hossain and BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek handed over the check to the Chief Advisor at the State Guest House Jamuna.
The Chief Advisor said that the BSC should maintain its status as a profitable institution in recent times.
He said that in the future, plans should be made so that the institution itself becomes stronger with the income of this institution and new ships are added to the fleet.
He said that if more ships are added to the BSC fleet, enthusiasm among sailors will increase and new employment opportunities will be created.
He said that the instructors of marine academies should be retained with appropriate honorarium so that they can produce world-class sailors.
Commodore Mahmudul Malek said that a loan agreement (LA) was signed between the Government of Bangladesh (Economic Relations Department) and the Government of China (China Exim Bank) on 14 October 2016 for the project titled Purchase of six new ships (3 new product oil tankers of approximately 39,000 DWT each and 3 new bulk carriers) implemented for the purpose of purchasing/acquisition of 6 ships on G-to-G basis for BSC. The principal amount of the said loan is 1,199,999,070 yuan, which is 1457,67,98,785/- (one thousand four hundred fifty-seven crore sixty-seven lakh ninety-eight thousand seven hundred eighty-five) taka in Bangladeshi currency.
In continuation of this, another Subsidiary Loan Agreement (SLA) was signed between the Finance Department of the government and BSC on 27 October 2024 for the repayment of the said loan. In that context, a total of 2,425.02 crore taka will be paid to the Government of Bangladesh (Finance Department, Ministry of Finance) from BSC within 13 years.
As per the signed SLA agreement, the total interest amount during the grace period is 475,25,13,340/- (four hundred seventy-five crore twenty-five lakh thirteen thousand three hundred forty) taka, a check was officially handed over to the Chief Advisor on 26 November 2024.
After a long 27 years since the last ship procurement through the project, the said 6 commercial ships have been added to the fleet of BSC in the last 2018-19 term. Out of the 06 ships acquired under the said project, 05 ships (M.V. Banglar Joyjatra, M.V. Banglar Arjan, M.T. Banglar Agrajatra, M.T. Banglar Agradut and M.T. Banglar Pragati) are currently engaged in commercial activities related to cargo transportation in the international maritime environment and are proudly carrying the flag of Bangladesh.
It is to be noted that BSC earned about 800 crore taka in the last fiscal year in its 54-year history and achieved the highest profit (306.56 crore taka).
The role of the 5 ships added to the fleet through the project is immense in this continuous progress of BSC.
In view of the instructions of the Chief Advisor, BSC has already taken steps to acquire several new ships. For example, the 1st ship (Banglar Pragati) under the acquisition of 2 bulk carrier ships with its own financing was delivered and deployed in trade on 28 October 2025. In addition, the second ship (Banglar Navajatra) is scheduled for delivery on January 30, 2026. In addition, the process of acquiring 2 MR product oil tankers with government funding and 1 ultramax bulk carrier ship with private funding is underway. In addition, plans have been made to acquire several ships, including the procurement of 04 new large ships (mother vessels) from China on a G2G basis.
