Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday commissioned five locally-made state-of-the-art vessels to the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) fleet, further strengthening the maritime law enforcement force.

Of the five vessels, two are inshore patrol vessels 'BCGS Joy Bangla' and 'BCGS Apurba Bangla', two tugboats 'BCGT Pratyay' and 'BCGT Pramatta' and a floating crane 'BCGFC Shakti'.

The prime minister commissioned the ships through a videoconferencing from her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka.

She unveiled five separate plaques to mark the induction of the new ultramodern ships.

On the onset of the programme, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took a salute.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division Md Mustafizur Rahman were present at the commissioning ceremony on the BCG Patenga Berth premises here.

Following a commissioning parade, BCG Director General Rear Admiral Ashraful Hoq Chowdhury delivered the welcome address at the function.

An audiovisual presentation was screened on the newly added ships to the BCG fleet.

BCG DG Rear Admiral Ashraful Hoq Chowdhury, on behalf of the Prime Minister, formally handed over the commissioning formans (statements) of the ships to their respective captains at BCG Patenga Berth here.

Of the five vessels, the two inshore patrol vessels 'BCGS Joy Bangla' and 'BCGS Apurba Bangla' were built by state-owned Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited in Narayanganj while two tugboats 'BCGT Pratyay' and 'BCGT Pramatta' and the floating crane 'BCGFC Shakti' were made by the state-owned Khulna Shipyard.

On Tuesday at a briefing, Captain of 'BCGS Joy Bangla' Lieutenant Commander Md Zia Uddin said the new vessels are equipped with ultramodern machineries, sensors and surveillance radar.

With commissioning of these five vessels, he said, the operational activities of the BCG will accelerate along with increase in the capacity to prevent stealing at commercial ships at the outer anchor, control human and drug trafficking through sea, patrol along the blue economy borders and conduct rescue operations in case of natural calamity and maritime accidents.

He said the 'Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1974' was enacted inserting a demand for Bangladesh's own maritime area due to the farsighted vision of the greatest Bangalee of all time and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

According to BCG officials, Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina placed the 'Bangladesh Coast Guard Bill' in parliament in 1994 when she was the opposition leader in the House. Following her proposal, the BCG was established on February 14 in 1995.

Later, new platforms and infrastructural development were added to the BCG at the directives of the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which accelerated the operational activities of the force and yielded enormous success.

Along with active presence in coastal water areas and ensuring proper use of marine resources as a vigilant watchdog, the BCG has been playing a vital role since its inception in conserving marine resources, preventing smuggling in coastal areas, controlling drug smuggling, conserving forest resources, preventing environmental pollution in the areas adjacent to the sea and rivers and stopping catching of Jatka and Mother Hilsa and preventing human trafficking.

Due to the relentless efforts of the BCG, the officials said, the Chattogram Port has turned into a safe port from a risky one.

Source: BSS