`Keel laying on oil tankers in Western Marine shipyard

CHITTAGONG, December 15: Western Marine Shipyard, one of the leading shipbuilders of the country, laid four keels weighing 350 dwt (dead weight tonnage) each to build tankers for Nurjahan Group. Representatives of Nurjahan Group and Germanischer Llyod BD and 13 honourary consuls of Bangladesh in 12 different parts of the world were present during the keel-laying. The consuls paid a goodwill visit at the shipyard to have a firsthand knowledge of Bangladesh shipbuilding industry and its opportunities in the international shipbuilding arena. Contract for building four tankers were signed between Nurjahan Group of Industries and the shipyard on July 18 last. The oil tankers will carry edible oil from Nurjahan refinery to different parts of the country. The consuls were Kazim Ozer from Istanbul (Turkey), Mrs Zerrine Cakmakoglu from Izmer (Turkey), Ataur Rahman from Auckland (New Zealand), Mrs Peggy Kalaydijam from Cyprus, Stephan S Mantysaari and Harry Bassar from Helsinki (Finland), Patrick Swolfs from Antwerp ( Belgium), Amine Laraqui from Casablanca (Morocco), David Kim from Incheon (South Korea), Christian Pelo from Genoa ( Italy) and Dasho Rinchen Dorji from Phuent Sholing from Bhutan. Western Marine chairman Saiful Islam and managing director Sakhawat Hossain were present on the occasion. - Our Correspondent