[🇧🇩] Overseas Marine Shipping

[Bilal9]

Source : https://www.thedailystar.net/business/port-and-shipping/news/shipping-corporation-add-18-new-ships-fleet-3471571

Shipping Corporation to add 18 new ships to fleet​

Contract signed with Chinese supplier to buy 4 bigger vessels.


Aiming to enhance its capacity in transporting seaborne cargo, the state-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has taken an initiative to add a total of 18 new ships to its fleet in a short period.
All 18 vessels will be purchased with foreign loan assistance.

Out of the 18, the purchase of four bigger vessels -- including two mother bulk carriers and two crude oil mother tankers -- at a cost of around Tk 2,500 crore has progressed very far, with BSC already having signed a contract with a Chinese supplier.

BSC officials hoped that construction of these four new vessels would start within a couple of months and be completed in 20 months.

Apart from this, the state-run corporation also plans to use its own funds to buy two smaller bulk carriers.

State Minister of Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, while addressing the 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of BSC as chief guest yesterday, informed that 21 vessels of different categories would be gradually added to the BSC's fleet.

The purchase of these ships is part of the government's plan to make BSC a self-dependent shipping firm, he said.

Currently, the BSC has 7 vessels in its fleet.

Two of them were purchased in 1987 while six new ships were purchased in 2018 after a pause of around 27 years, including three product oil tankers and three bulk carriers.

One of these six new ships, named "Banglar Samriddhi", was damaged in a bomb attack in a Ukrainian port last year.

Given the implementation of a number of coal-based power plants in Rampal, Payra and Matrabari, the BSC adopted plans to buy four heavy-capacity vessels to ensure an uninterrupted supply chain in transporting crude oil and coal for the sake of future energy security.

BSC Managing Director Commodore Md Ziaul Hoque told The Daily Star yesterday that the purchase of the four vessels, including two 114,000-tonne crude oil mother tankers and two 80,000-tonne mother bulk carriers, was being finalised.

He informed that they recently signed a contract with Chinese supplier China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation to build these four ships at a cost of Tk 2,500 crore.

Mentioning that the construction of these four ships would start within one or two months, he hoped that the vessels would start arriving after around 20 months.

Moreover, negotiations with the same Chinese supplier for the purchase of two 80,000-tonne mother product oil tankers -- which will be used to carry diesel oil and jet fuel imported by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) -- are also in the final stages, he said.

The two vessels will render services by carrying diesel oil and jet fuel after the completion of the Single Point Mooring (SPM) with Double Pipeline.

He added that negotiations were also ongoing with Australian and South Korean suppliers for the purchase of 12 cellular container vessels, each with 2,500 TEUs capacity under two separate projects.

 

[Bilal9]

Meghna group is adding the four largest new private bulk carriers to Bangladesh Marine fleet.

Meghna Victory (66000 tons) is one of the four new Meghna bulk carrier ships, and are joined by Meghna Prestige, Meghna Hope and Meghna Progress.

 

[Bilal9]

Number of private sector Bangladesh-owned mother vessels fleet now close to 100. The story below outlines the four newest additions with 66000 DWT capacity each.

 

[Saif]

BSC to buy 6 ships for $330m to build container fleet

The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) is going to purchase six modern container ships from South Korea at a cost of $330.32 million to break the stranglehold enjoyed by non-Bangladeshi feeder vessels, which results in the loss of a substantial amount of foreign currency in freight costs.

www.thedailystar.net

BSC to buy 6 ships for $330m to build container fleet
Shipping Corporation to buy the vessels from South Korea

The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) is going to purchase six modern container ships from South Korea at a cost of $330.32 million to break the stranglehold enjoyed by non-Bangladeshi feeder vessels, which results in the loss of a substantial amount of foreign currency in freight costs.

Yesterday, the state-run corporation announced that it had received primary approval from the Planning Commission to acquire six container vessels from South Korea, each with a capacity of 2,500-3,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

This will be the first addition of container ships by the national flag carrier in more than a decade, with previous purchases having been out of commission for a long time.

The new ships, each capable of carrying 2,500-3,000 TEUs, will be bought at a cost of Tk 3,836 crore from two South Korean ship-building firms, with approximately 92 percent of the cost will be financed through a foreign loan.

BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek told The Daily Star that South Korean EXIM Bank would provide Tk 3,500 crore as a loan for the project while the remaining funds would be financed by BSC.

He added that the government has approved a feasibility study on the purchase, to be conducted by Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

According to a disclosure on the Dhaka Stock Exchange website, a concept paper has been signed between EDCF, Korea, and BSC, under which EDCF is conducting the feasibility study for the project.

With approval from the Korean side, the feasibility study is expected to take two to three months, after which a contract will be signed, he anticipated.

The six new vessels are expected to be added by 2027.

Initially, BSC plans to operate the ships between Chattogram and transshipment ports in Singapore and Malaysia, though they may also be chartered for other global routes.

Malek expressed confidence that the six new container ships would generate an additional Tk 700 crore to Tk 800 crore in annual revenue, transporting over 500,000 TEUs of containers each year.

FOREIGN FEEDER SHIPS DOMINATING THE SCENE

At present, around 80 feeder vessels transport containerised cargo between transshipment ports and Chattogram port, which handles 98 percent of the country's total containerised goods transport.

Last year, a total of 2.92 million TEUs of import, export, and empty containers were transported through Chattogram port, according to shipping agents.

Yet, Bangladeshi feeder-vessel operator HR Lines Limited, a subsidiary of Karnaphuli Group, is the only local firm that operates container ships at present, with its eight ships having a combined carrying capacity of 11,840 TEUs.

Through its latest initiative, the BSC will become the second Bangladeshi firm to venture into container shipping in recent years.

The state-run corporation was a pioneer in this regard, acquiring the first container ship owned by the country, named "Banglar Shikha", in 1991. It also operated two multi-purpose ships for container shipping.

However, all three of those vessels ceased operations over a decade ago.

Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Chairman Syed Md Arif noted that private Bangladeshi firms had previously entered the container shipping business but could not sustain their operations.

As a result, the sector became entirely dependent on foreign-owned vessels for several years.

Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association Vice-President Khairul Alam Suzan echoed that sentiment, saying foreign feeder vessels were currently dominating the trade, leading to a significant outflow of foreign currency due to freight costs.

With the inclusion of BSC's new ships, the country will not only save substantial foreign currency but also create more employment opportunities for local seafarers, he opined.

Referring to the sizes of the new vessels, Suzan mentioned that the BSC, with these cellular ships, would have the option to launch direct shipping to European destinations, significantly reducing both time and costs in foreign trade.

BSC'S STORIED HISTORY

The BSC began its journey with only two ships in 1972 and got listed in the stock market in 1977.

In 2018, six new ships, comprising three oil tankers and three bulk carriers, were purchased. However, one of the six new ships, "Banglar Samriddhi", was damaged in a bomb attack at a Ukrainian port in 2022.

At present, the BSC owns five vessels, featuring two bulk carriers and three chemical and oil tankers.

And despite a 5 percent drop in revenue to Tk 487 crore, the national flag carrier reported a solid profit last year.

In the financial year 2023-24, freight revenue from lighterage and time charter decreased year-on-year due to off-hire and dry docking of ships, which ultimately reduced the company's total revenue.

Its freight revenue dropped by over 9 percent to Tk 392 crore.

Despite this, the company reported a record net profit of Tk 249.69 crore in FY24, the highest in its 53-year history.

Just three years ago, the company's net profit was below Tk 100 crore. The surge in the past three years has been attributed to the increase in its fleet size in 2018.

BSC's net profit margin is comparatively high among neighbouring countries, standing at around 42 percent in FY24, compared to 12 percent for the Shipping Corporation of India, 44 percent for Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, 20 percent for Singapore Shipping Corporation, and 19 percent for Malaysia's Shin Yang Shipping Corporation.

The net profit margin, or simply net margin, measures how much net income or profit a company generates as a percentage of its revenue.

BSC's earnings per share rose to Tk 16.37 last year from Tk 16.15 in the previous year. The company's retained earnings nearly doubled to Tk 507 crore, up from Tk 284 crore in FY23.

The state shipping corporation also plans to purchase six more container ships following this project. With these 12 ships, the company aims to expand its fleet to a total of 22 ships by 2030.

Stocks of the company grew 1.8 percent to Tk 87.9 yesterday at the DSE.​

 

[Bilal9]

BSC to buy 6 ships for $330m to build container fleet

The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) is going to purchase six modern container ships from South Korea at a cost of $330.32 million to break the stranglehold enjoyed by non-Bangladeshi feeder vessels, which results in the loss of a substantial amount of foreign currency in freight costs.

www.thedailystar.net

BSC to buy 6 ships for $330m to build container fleet
Shipping Corporation to buy the vessels from South Korea

View attachment 14741

The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) is going to purchase six modern container ships from South Korea at a cost of $330.32 million to break the stranglehold enjoyed by non-Bangladeshi feeder vessels, which results in the loss of a substantial amount of foreign currency in freight costs.

Yesterday, the state-run corporation announced that it had received primary approval from the Planning Commission to acquire six container vessels from South Korea, each with a capacity of 2,500-3,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

This will be the first addition of container ships by the national flag carrier in more than a decade, with previous purchases having been out of commission for a long time.

The new ships, each capable of carrying 2,500-3,000 TEUs, will be bought at a cost of Tk 3,836 crore from two South Korean ship-building firms, with approximately 92 percent of the cost will be financed through a foreign loan.

BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek told The Daily Star that South Korean EXIM Bank would provide Tk 3,500 crore as a loan for the project while the remaining funds would be financed by BSC.

He added that the government has approved a feasibility study on the purchase, to be conducted by Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

According to a disclosure on the Dhaka Stock Exchange website, a concept paper has been signed between EDCF, Korea, and BSC, under which EDCF is conducting the feasibility study for the project.

With approval from the Korean side, the feasibility study is expected to take two to three months, after which a contract will be signed, he anticipated.

The six new vessels are expected to be added by 2027.

Initially, BSC plans to operate the ships between Chattogram and transshipment ports in Singapore and Malaysia, though they may also be chartered for other global routes.

Malek expressed confidence that the six new container ships would generate an additional Tk 700 crore to Tk 800 crore in annual revenue, transporting over 500,000 TEUs of containers each year.

FOREIGN FEEDER SHIPS DOMINATING THE SCENE

At present, around 80 feeder vessels transport containerised cargo between transshipment ports and Chattogram port, which handles 98 percent of the country's total containerised goods transport.

Last year, a total of 2.92 million TEUs of import, export, and empty containers were transported through Chattogram port, according to shipping agents.

Yet, Bangladeshi feeder-vessel operator HR Lines Limited, a subsidiary of Karnaphuli Group, is the only local firm that operates container ships at present, with its eight ships having a combined carrying capacity of 11,840 TEUs.

Through its latest initiative, the BSC will become the second Bangladeshi firm to venture into container shipping in recent years.

The state-run corporation was a pioneer in this regard, acquiring the first container ship owned by the country, named "Banglar Shikha", in 1991. It also operated two multi-purpose ships for container shipping.

However, all three of those vessels ceased operations over a decade ago.

Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Chairman Syed Md Arif noted that private Bangladeshi firms had previously entered the container shipping business but could not sustain their operations.

As a result, the sector became entirely dependent on foreign-owned vessels for several years.

Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association Vice-President Khairul Alam Suzan echoed that sentiment, saying foreign feeder vessels were currently dominating the trade, leading to a significant outflow of foreign currency due to freight costs.

With the inclusion of BSC's new ships, the country will not only save substantial foreign currency but also create more employment opportunities for local seafarers, he opined.

Referring to the sizes of the new vessels, Suzan mentioned that the BSC, with these cellular ships, would have the option to launch direct shipping to European destinations, significantly reducing both time and costs in foreign trade.

BSC'S STORIED HISTORY

The BSC began its journey with only two ships in 1972 and got listed in the stock market in 1977.

In 2018, six new ships, comprising three oil tankers and three bulk carriers, were purchased. However, one of the six new ships, "Banglar Samriddhi", was damaged in a bomb attack at a Ukrainian port in 2022.

At present, the BSC owns five vessels, featuring two bulk carriers and three chemical and oil tankers.

And despite a 5 percent drop in revenue to Tk 487 crore, the national flag carrier reported a solid profit last year.

In the financial year 2023-24, freight revenue from lighterage and time charter decreased year-on-year due to off-hire and dry docking of ships, which ultimately reduced the company's total revenue.

Its freight revenue dropped by over 9 percent to Tk 392 crore.

Despite this, the company reported a record net profit of Tk 249.69 crore in FY24, the highest in its 53-year history.

Just three years ago, the company's net profit was below Tk 100 crore. The surge in the past three years has been attributed to the increase in its fleet size in 2018.

BSC's net profit margin is comparatively high among neighbouring countries, standing at around 42 percent in FY24, compared to 12 percent for the Shipping Corporation of India, 44 percent for Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, 20 percent for Singapore Shipping Corporation, and 19 percent for Malaysia's Shin Yang Shipping Corporation.

The net profit margin, or simply net margin, measures how much net income or profit a company generates as a percentage of its revenue.

BSC's earnings per share rose to Tk 16.37 last year from Tk 16.15 in the previous year. The company's retained earnings nearly doubled to Tk 507 crore, up from Tk 284 crore in FY23.

The state shipping corporation also plans to purchase six more container ships following this project. With these 12 ships, the company aims to expand its fleet to a total of 22 ships by 2030.

Stocks of the company grew 1.8 percent to Tk 87.9 yesterday at the DSE.​

This is great news!

So - in essence, the twelve new Container ships (3000 TEU each) which will eventually increase the yearly container carrying capacity of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation to 1 Million TEUs. Out of the total container processing at CTG port which is 3 Million TEUs annually, this is about one-third.

Here is a representational image of an older 3000 TEU container ship called BOX EMMA. 3000 TEU ships belong to the Panamax Class of ships and have length/breadth of 300m/12m. These are the largest ships that currently dock at CTG port after recent improvements (Maximum allowable draught is I believe 12m now).

Here is one a little smaller, at 2200 TEUs (Typical size of container feeder ships that usually call at CTG port).

I am sure other private Bangladeshi Shipping companies will purchase new Container Carrier equipment (ships) and will add further to this domestic capacity, to break the oligopoly of foreign container feeder lines and their expensive surcharges.

This will halt the long continuing outflow of foreign exchange.

 

[Saif]

This will halt the long continuing outflow of foreign exchange.

It will also protect us from embargos by the West.

 

[Bilal9]

For the first time, Shipping Corp to buy two vessels using Tk900cr of its own funds​

In a strategic move to grow its presence in the shipping sector and boost government revenue income, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) will, for the first time, purchase two new ocean-going vessels entirely with its own funds, investing approximately Tk900 crore.

With the purchase of two new ships expected by August or September this year, the state-owned ocean-going vessel company's fleet will grow to seven vessels. Officials say efforts to procure four more ships with government assistance are currently underway.

To procure the two vessels, BSC floated an international tender on 4 June, seeking expressions of interest from potential bidders, with submissions due by 16 July. The selected bidders must deliver the vessels within six months of the tender award.

BPC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek told TBS, "We have assessed various financing options and concluded that investing in ships is more viable than keeping funds in fixed deposits. We expect over a dozen international bidders to participate."

"We hope that the new bulk carriers will join our fleet by September this year," he added.

Officials said the decision to procure the two ships was made last October at the corporation's annual board of directors meeting, driven by growing demand in the global shipping industry and the aim to expand its footprint.

The two bulk carriers, each with a capacity of 55,000 to 66,000 tonnes and an estimated combined cost of Tk850 to Tk950 crore, will be procured from China. These vessels are built using equipment from Japan and European countries.

This fleet expansion comes nearly six years after the last one in 2018 and 2019, when six ships were acquired with foreign assistance under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement from China, with a total investment of around Tk1,500 crore.

Established in 1972, just months after the country's independence, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation achieved record revenue and profit in the 2023-24 fiscal year since its inception, operating its existing five ocean-going vessels amid significant hikes in chartering fares in the shipping industry.

Why purchase new vessels

BSC's fleet expansion plan aims to enhance government revenue through higher profits and support foreign currency earnings.


The project also intends to meet the country's commercial shipping demands, improve BSC's profitability, strengthen national food security, and develop maritime infrastructure in line with the "Blue Economy."

It will further aid the government in generating significant revenue from port charges, registration, repairs, insurance, taxes, and other fees associated with ship operations.

The plan to acquire two modern bulk carrier ships will raise BSC's cargo capacity by 1.2 million tonnes annually and increase annual profits by about Tk190 crore, contributing substantial tax and dividend revenue to the government.

Overall, the state-owned corporation aims to grow its fleet capacity by over 50%, secure at least $10 million annually in foreign exchange savings and earnings, and establish a maritime logistics hub with ship repair and maintenance facilities near the port.

A journey from collapse to comeback

Established on 5 February 1972, BSC launched commercial operations just four months later with the MV Banglar Doot.

Over time, its fleet expanded to 44 ships, with 25 operating simultaneously at its peak. However, years of mismanagement and financial losses brought the corporation to the brink of bankruptcy.

By 2018, after selling off aged and unfit vessels, the fleet was reduced to just two ships. Later that year and in 2019, six new vessels were acquired with Chinese government financing worth Tk1,843 crore, raising the fleet to eight.

However, that growth faced setbacks. The MV Banglar Samriddhi was abandoned after a Russian rocket attack at Ukraine's Olvia port in March 2022, reducing the fleet to seven. Then, in October 2023, two ageing oil tankers — MT Banglar Sourav and MT Banglar Jyoti — were severely damaged in fires and subsequently scrapped for Tk 55 crore, cutting the fleet back to five ships.

Now, with the upcoming procurement of two new bulk carriers, BSC aims to rebound and expand its fleet to seven ships by the end of this year.

Officials said the move is not only a strategic investment but also a symbolic shift in BSC's operational approach — highlighting self-reliance, financial planning, and an intent to reestablish Bangladesh's presence in the global maritime trade.