Bright prospect for BD mariners' job abroad
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
About 5000 Bangladeshi mariners earn $300 to $400 million every year indicating that the sector has huge potential to earn foreign currency through export of skilled workforce abroad, sources said.
About 6.8 million Bangladeshi workers, mostly unskilled, sent home $8.3 billion in July-March period of the current fiscal.
Every year about 200 cadets pass out from the marine academy in Chittagong and all of them are absorbed in the job market with minimum monthly salary of $500 per month, Mohammad Fakhrul Islam, chief engineer and ship surveyor of Department of Shipping, told the FE.
About 80 per cent of the cadets become captains or chief engineers by the age of 35 and earn a handsome salary of $10,000 to $14,000 per month, he said.
At present, over 2,500 Bangladeshis are working as officers and 2,500 as crew in different foreign shipping companies.
"The government has a plan to increase the number of skilled workforce in the sector," Mr Fakhrul said.
It is also going to revise the training and certification rules of the marine academy in line with the new International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulation, he said.
"IMO has finalised the new draft of International Convention on Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping and it will be effective from February 2011," he said.
Bangladesh needs to change the rules before the schedule to maintain international standard of the academy, he added.
From the marine academy, 170 cadets pass out and 60 to 70 pass third engineer examination every year, Mr Fakhrul said.
A third engineer gets salary ranging between $4,500 and $6,000 per month whereas a second engineer gets $8,000 to $10,000, he said.
Captain Saydur Rahman of Haque and Sons, one of the biggest ship management and manning company, said the sector has tremendous prospects provided the government takes some initiatives.
"Training facility should be increased to enhance skill of the mariners," he said.
The private sector has also come forward to set up a marine academy as it is a very lucrative sector, he added.
He urged the government to improve the image of the country so that more shipping lines recruit more from the country.
After working as chief engineers or captains for six to seven years, many shift to managerial posts and a good number of Bangladeshis are working in management posts in various shipping companies, he added.
About 5000 Bangladeshi mariners earn $300 to $400 million every year indicating that the sector has huge potential to earn foreign currency through export of skilled workforce abroad, sources said.
About 6.8 million Bangladeshi workers, mostly unskilled, sent home $8.3 billion in July-March period of the current fiscal.
Every year about 200 cadets pass out from the marine academy in Chittagong and all of them are absorbed in the job market with minimum monthly salary of $500 per month, Mohammad Fakhrul Islam, chief engineer and ship surveyor of Department of Shipping, told the FE.
About 80 per cent of the cadets become captains or chief engineers by the age of 35 and earn a handsome salary of $10,000 to $14,000 per month, he said.
At present, over 2,500 Bangladeshis are working as officers and 2,500 as crew in different foreign shipping companies.
"The government has a plan to increase the number of skilled workforce in the sector," Mr Fakhrul said.
It is also going to revise the training and certification rules of the marine academy in line with the new International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulation, he said.
"IMO has finalised the new draft of International Convention on Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping and it will be effective from February 2011," he said.
Bangladesh needs to change the rules before the schedule to maintain international standard of the academy, he added.
From the marine academy, 170 cadets pass out and 60 to 70 pass third engineer examination every year, Mr Fakhrul said.
A third engineer gets salary ranging between $4,500 and $6,000 per month whereas a second engineer gets $8,000 to $10,000, he said.
Captain Saydur Rahman of Haque and Sons, one of the biggest ship management and manning company, said the sector has tremendous prospects provided the government takes some initiatives.
"Training facility should be increased to enhance skill of the mariners," he said.
The private sector has also come forward to set up a marine academy as it is a very lucrative sector, he added.
He urged the government to improve the image of the country so that more shipping lines recruit more from the country.
After working as chief engineers or captains for six to seven years, many shift to managerial posts and a good number of Bangladeshis are working in management posts in various shipping companies, he added.