PM opens largest warship-building project at Khulna Shipyard

A new horizon has been opened up in the country’s shipbuilding industry as Khulna Shipyard on Sunday launched the work of two large patrol craft (LPC), the largest warship construction project in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the keel of the two patrol craft, expressing her firm optimism that Khulna Shipyard would be capable of exporting developed and modern warships in future.

“Khulna Shipyard is now constructing and repairing big and small quality warships for Bangladesh Navy along with building large and medium oceangoing ships. I believe that it would be able to attain the capacity of exporting developed and modern battle ships in future, Insha Allah,” she said.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the work of the two craft by releasing pigeons and balloons at Khulna Shipyard this afternoon. From the same function, she also opened two container vessels for the Bangladesh Navy.

Chief of Naval Staff and Chairman of Board of Directors of Khulna Shipyard Vice-Admiral Farid Habib and Managing Director of Khulna Shipyard Commodore M Khurshid Malik also spoke at the keel-laying function.

On her arrival at Khulna Shipyard, the Prime Minister was received by Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral M Farid Habib and the managing director of the shipyard.

Thousands of people standing on both sides of the roads greeted the Prime Minister on her way to Khulna Shipyard from BNS Titumir Naval Base.

Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh has started utilizing the golden opportunity to tap the growing demand of constructing ships in global market as many countries are now showing their interest about Khulna Shipyard and communicating with them.

“Utilization of the permanent asset at Joymoni Goal at Mongla would further expand the country’s shipbuilding industry,” she said.

She said that it is indispensable to have dependable and alternate measures for constructing vessels, maintenance of necessary dredgers and other equipment for maintenance of marine vessels to face any kind of emergency situation.

From that context, Sheikh Hasina said Khulna Shipyard is a strategic asset for Bangladesh of which her government is pledge-bound for ensuring its further development and mobility.

Besides, she said, Khulna Shipyard is also contributing towards ensuring social welfare alongside doing business as a industry.

The Prime Minister said the government’s objective of handing over Khulna Shipyard to Bangladesh Navy in 1999 has been achieved.

“After constructing five warships, now with the launching of works of building state-of-the-art large patrol craft, you’ve put this organization on a solid foundation,” she said.

She hoped that the newly-built modern container vessels for the Noukalyan Foundation of Navy built by Khulna Shipyard Limited would enrich the growing technical and technological experiences of this yard side by side with making special contributions to national economy.