CHITTAGONG, Oct 2: Chittagong Dry Dock Ltd (CDDL), the only state-owned seagoing ship repair industry, enters ship building arena Wednesday through keel laying of two container vessels for BIWTC (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation).
The CDDL is building the 158-TEUs self-propelled container vessels at its yard at Patenga in the city under technical supervision of the Bureau Veritus of France at a cost of Tk 757.40 million and completion of the ships has been targeted in March, 2016.
Inaugurating the programme, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, MP, termed it as a milestone for the Dry Dock and said it will build more ships of international standard with its longstanding institutional expertise and experience as a ship repairer.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, MP, and State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Zabed, MP, spoke on the occasion as special guests. Secretary for Industries Md Mainuddin Abdullah presided over the function.
The industries minister said that raising the standard of life through long-lasting and environment-friendly industrialisation is the political commitment of the government of Sheikh Hasina.
Through fulfillment of this the Prime Minister has declared her vision to build up Bangladesh into an industry-rich country by 2021 and an advanced and modern Bangladesh by 2041.
Mr Amu said the ship recycling industry in Chittagong will get more land as industry insiders have sought. "The government is actively considering expansion of the ship-breaking and recycling industry and creating opportunity for the same along side the shipbuilding industry," he said.
The government is encouraging foreign investment and has created opportunity for investment from many countries including Japan, Korea, India and China through establishing industrial zones in the country, the minister said.
Chairman of Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC) Md Imtiaz Hossain Chowdhury, Chairman of BIWTC Md Mizanur Rahman and Managing Director of CDDL Engineer Md Shahjahan were present on the occasion.
