Merchant marine officers’ body demands overall reform in maritime sector

The country's maritime sector was plagued by extreme level of corruption and irregularities during the last regime and the situation is still unchanged, according to the leaders of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association (BMMOA).

The Awami League regime posted unfit persons on deputation in many of the key administrative posts in related organisations like the Department of Shipping, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) and marine institutes, depriving marine professionals, they said.

They demanded overall reform in the marine sector and an immediate end to the existing discriminatory administrative management.

The association made the calls at a press conference at the BMMOA office in Chattogram today.

At the event, BMMOA President Captain Md Anam Chowdhury placed five-point demands, including appointment of marine professionals in key regulatory and academic posts in maritime and shipping organisations and training institutes.

Due to the presence of incompetent officials at the policy level, several unfeasible projects like Payra Port and Bay Terminal project in Chattogram were taken during previous regime, he said.

He alleged that the incumbent director general of shipping, Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam, wrote to the shipping ministry on July 4 for temporary appointment in some 50 vacant posts, including chief nautical surveyor, chief engineering surveyor, nautical surveyor and deputy nautical surveyor in the shipping department on deputation with officials from government organisations like Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Civil Aviation, who are not qualified in seafarer professions.

"These are the completely technical posts while the post holders need to have marine professional qualifications as they have to implement more than 50 IMO conventions," said Captain Anam, who demanded the DG's resignation.

Moreover, the incumbent Commandant of Barishal Marine Academy, a Navy official posted there on deputation, recently argued for appointing Navy captains as commandants in all marine academies, saying merchant mariners as less competent, the BMMOA president said.

Captain Anam said this is a gross violation of the IMO STCW convention that made it mandatory that the instructors, supervisors and assessors of seafarers need to be qualified in the particular field.

BMMOA General Secretary Marine Engineer Md Shakawat Hossain and Senior Member Captain Atique Ua Khan also spoke at the conference among others.