Bangladesh conducted its first nationwide vessel census, “Vessel Census 2026”, from 20 to 29 August 2026, the Dhaka Tribune reported on 19 August.
The census, run jointly by the Department of Shipping and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), covered all motorised vessels in sea, coastal and inland waterways. Enumerators appointed by BBS collected information on the number, type, ownership and registration status of vessels. It is part of the Department of Shipping’s “Vessel Database Development and Capacity Enhancement in Vessel Management” project under the Ministry of Shipping.
Officials said the database would support planning and policymaking, improve registration, strengthen maritime safety and help manage waterways, and asked owners, operators and workers to give accurate information. In April 2026, State Minister for Shipping Razib Ahsan had announced that all inland vessels would be moved to digital registration, BSS reported. Results of the census had not been published at the time of writing.
Source
- Dhaka Tribune: “1st nationwide vessel census to begin from Aug 20” (19 August 2026)
- BSS: “All inland vessels to be brought under digital registration: Razib Ahsan” (5 April 2026)
File photo: a passenger launch at Sadarghat, Dhaka. Photo: Ahammed Saad / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This article was prepared by Maritime News BD from the report(s) and documents listed above; it was not independently reported by Maritime News BD.
