Shippers' Council and Ocean Centres focus on collaboration for sustainable blue economy

The Shippers' Council of Bangladesh (SCB) held a meeting with representatives of the Ocean Centres initiative recently to discuss collaboration for advancing maritime safety and sustainable ocean economy development in Bangladesh.
Shippers' Council Chairman Md Rezaul Karim presided over the meeting attended by SCB Senior Vice Chairman Syed Md Bakhtiar, Vice Chairman Ataur Rahman Khan and other directors, says a press release.
From the Ocean Centre initiative, the meeting was attended by Patricia Furtado, Global Lead of Ocean Centres; Shahamin S. Zaman, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Bangladesh (GCNB); Commodore Syed Ariful Islam, BN (Retd), Adviser and Focal Point of Ocean Centre Bangladesh; and Captain M. A. Mukit Khan (Retd), Country Lead, Ocean Centre Bangladesh.
Welcoming the delegation, the SCB Chairman appreciated the Ocean Centres initiative and emphasised its importance for Bangladesh as a maritime nation. He noted that Bangladesh's growing maritime trade, port development, fisheries, and emerging offshore opportunities require enhanced focus on safety, sustainability, and workforce development.
The Ocean Centres initiative -- developed by the UN Global Compact in partnership with Lloyd's Register Foundation -- serves as a multi-stakeholder platform supporting safer and more sustainable ocean economies in emerging countries, including Bangladesh.
During the discussion, both sides highlighted potential areas of cooperation, including: shipping and port safety initiatives, private sector engagement in maritime sustainability, knowledge sharing and policy dialogue; promotion of green logistics and sustainable shipping; research and data collaboration; capacity-building programmes and industry awareness initiatives.
The SCB Board of Directors expressed interest in strengthening institutional collaboration with Ocean Centre Bangladesh and supporting multi-stakeholder engagement involving exporters, importers, and maritime logistics stakeholders, banks and government agencies.
Patricia Furtado emphasised the importance of inclusive collaboration among government, private sector, academia, and civil society to address safety challenges and unlock sustainable blue economy growth.
She appreciated the proactive role of Bangladesh's maritime stakeholders and welcomed continued engagement of the Shippers' Council.
Both parties agreed to continue dialogue and explore joint initiatives to promote safe, resilient, and sustainable maritime trade and logistics in Bangladesh.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to work together to support Bangladesh's transition toward a safer and more sustainable ocean economy.