Govt aims to fully utilise 16,000km of waterways: Rabiul

Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said on Thursday that the government wants to fully utilise Bangladesh’s approximately 16,000 kilometres of natural waterways while ensuring that marine resource extraction does not harm the environment.

He stressed the need for regulated use of marine resources and the adoption of the latest technologies to unlock the sector’s potential sustainably.

The minister made the remarks while inaugurating the three-day 8th Bangladesh International Marine and Offshore Expo (BIMOX 2026) at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka.

“We are fortunate to have an abundance of seas, rivers and other water bodies. We naturally have around 16,000 kilometres of waterways, but we have not been able to use them properly. We want to harness the potential of every aspect of this sector,” he said.

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Rabiul said efforts to explore marine resources were putting the promising sector at environmental risk, adding that the international community was increasingly recognising the need to protect the oceans.

He warned that uncontrolled exploitation could render marine resources unusable within a short period, stressing the need for regulated use supported by advanced technologies.

The minister said, “The government is committed to harnessing the potential of the country’s seaports and maritime sector. Steps have been taken to expand operations at Chattogram and Mongla ports, while an international-standard deep-sea port is being developed at Matarbari.”

Initiatives were also under way to make Payra seaport operationally effective, although some challenges remained, he said.

Highlighting plans to involve international operators in port management, Rabiul said the government had taken initiatives to bring three of the world’s five leading container terminal operators to Bangladesh.

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The minister called for coordinated development of energy, logistics, port management, shipbuilding and ship recycling to realise the maritime sector’s potential.

He said advanced technologies were needed across a wide range of activities, from fishing to offshore oil and gas exploration.

Although neighbouring countries had made progress in exploring and extracting oil and gas after the demarcation of their maritime boundaries, Bangladesh had yet to achieve the expected progress in this area, he added.

Rabiul also stressed the need to strengthen Bangladesh’s position in the international maritime labour market, noting that further training and skills development were necessary.

The country could learn from the experience of nations such as the Philippines, he said.

Addressing foreign investors and technology providers, the minister said the government wanted to draw on international technical expertise and experience to develop the maritime sector and was ready to cooperate with stakeholders on their proposed initiatives.