A high-level meeting was held between the Shippers’ Council of Bangladesh (SCB) and representatives of the Ocean Centre initiative to discuss collaboration for advancing maritime safety and sustainable ocean economy development in Bangladesh.

The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the Shippers’ Council of Bangladesh Md. Rezaul Karim, with participation from Senior Vice Chairman Syed Md. Bakhtiar, Vice Chairman Ataur Rahman Khan & other Directors of SCB.

From the Ocean Centre initiative, the meeting was attended by Ms. Patricia Furtado, Global Lead of Ocean Centres; Ms. 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 Chairman of SCB appreciated the Ocean Centres initiative and emphasized 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 concerned Government agencies is by organizing Workshop & Seminar etc. Ms. Patricia Furtado emphasized 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 the 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.