The government may declare shipbuilding a “thrust sector” to boost export earnings, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam told parliament on 24 June 2026, answering a starred question from BNP lawmaker Joynal Abdin, BSS reported in The Financial Express.
Calling the industry highly capital-intensive, the minister said it needs special financing, including long-term loans at around 4 per cent interest and export credit support, as well as customs incentives and tax holidays for export-oriented yards. Locally built ships currently add about 25 to 30 per cent in value; producing inputs such as marine cables, paints, fibreglass and steel plates at home could raise that to 45 to 50 per cent, he said.
He pointed to international demand for small and medium vessels of up to 12,000 tonnes, proposed training institutes for welding, ship design, electrical systems and naval architecture, and said yards must adopt green technologies to compete for European orders. Simplifying the Ship Building Industry Development Policy and Bangladesh Bank refinancing schemes could bring “billions of dollars” in export revenue, he said. No formal thrust-sector declaration had been announced at the time of writing.
Source
- The Financial Express (BSS): “Govt likely to consider shipbuilding as thrust sector: Rabiul” (25 June 2026)
File photo: the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Bangladesh’s parliament building. Photo: Subarashitours / 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.
