The biennial Assembly session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) began in London on Tuesday. High-level representatives from 176 member countries are participating in this session. One of the important agendas of the session is the election of the 40-member council for the next two years, where Bangladesh is contesting for a “Category-C” seat.
The Bangladesh delegation is being led by Shipping Advisor Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. Sakhawat Hossain. He presented Bangladesh’s position in the opening session of the session.
During the assembly, the Bangladesh delegation held separate bilateral meetings with ministerial-level representatives of Pakistan and Belize. Both the meetings were held in a cordial atmosphere.
Meeting with Pakistan –
The meeting with the delegation led by the Federal Ministry for Maritime Affairs of Pakistan, Mohammad Junaid Anwar, discussed the expansion of maritime trade between Chittagong and Karachi ports, strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh Shipping Corporation and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, and other important issues. In the meeting, Advisor Dr. Sakhawat Hossain invited the Pakistani Minister to visit Bangladesh and the Pakistani Minister also extended a reciprocal invitation. Both sides emphasized the importance of further strengthening mutual cooperation.
Meeting with Belize –
The meeting with Belize’s Minister of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics, Michel Chibat, was also held in a very cordial atmosphere. The discussion focused on ship recycling, maritime trade and human resource development. The Advisor highlighted the scholarship opportunities open to marine cadets from small island nations including the Caribbean region at the Bangladesh Marine Academy in Chittagong. He extended an invitation to the Belizean Minister to visit Bangladesh, which was gratefully accepted by Belize.
Active Campaigning for Bangladesh –
Bangladesh is actively campaigning for its candidacy for Council membership through various events, meetings and networking throughout the Assembly. The delegation is also highlighting Bangladesh’s positive contributions to the international maritime sector in various forums.
