2012

Present scenario of
shipbuilding industries in
Bangladesh

Bangladesh University of Engineering &

Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

i
A thesis paper for completion of B.Sc Engineering

Submitted to,

Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam

Associate professor,
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME)
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)

Submitted by,

Abdullah-Al-Mamun
Student#0612003

Anik Mahmud
Student#0612013

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all, the authors are grateful to Almighty Allah for successful completion of
this thesis work. All praises to him.
Then the authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to their thesis supervisor
Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam, Associate Professor, Department of Naval Architecture and
Marine Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET),
Dhaka, Bangladesh, under whose supervision the thesis work has been carried out. His
continuous guidance, advice, valuable suggestions and inspection at every stage of the
work made this thesis possible.
The authors also would like to thank some shipbuilding yards of Bangladesh for their
assistance by providing necessary data for this thesis work.

Authors

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

iii
CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this research work has been done by Abdullah-Al-Mamun
(Student#0612003) & Anik Mahmud (Student#0612013) for Bangladesh
University of Engineering Technology and has not been submitted anywhere
else for any Degree or Diploma.

Abullah-Al-Mamun
(Student # 0612003)

Anik Mahmun

Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam

(Student # 0612013)

(Associate. Prof, Department of NAME)

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

iv

ABSTRACT
Bangladesh is a country with hundreds of rivers flowing around and over it. It has a
considerable coastline, available river draft and easy access to ocean. For these
reasons Bangladesh is carrying a shipbuilding heritage from ancient times. Chittagong
was the center of ancient shipbuilding industry. For the time being, the industry faced
many obstacles. But in recent times the country is looking forward despite of its
numerous problems and already has earned a good reputation in building ocean going
classed vessels for international clients. We have over 200 ship building and repairing
yards of which few have equipment and infrastructure for producing quality ships. We
have a large number of semi-skilled and skilled manpower experienced in the field of
shipbuilding even though training is needed for modern shipbuilding technics. We
have a large number of vessels operating in inland waterways of Bangladesh. Those
inland vessels are built at local yards. It is noticed that frequent accidents are
occurring in inland waterways of Bangladesh and valuable lives are lost. Technical
problems in local shipyards, lake of awareness and natural disasters are responsible
for those accidents. Despite of numerous problems, Bangladesh has a good
environment favorable for the emergence of a shipbuilding industry of international
standard. Necessary education and training facilities are present. Naval Architecture
and Marine Engineering (NAME) department of Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology (BUET) is producing 30 naval architects every year and
now the number is 55. The experienced teachers of NAME department and the naval
architects are taking this industry to a new level. This industry has already got
recognitions from valued international personnel of this field. Bangladesh is looking
forward for a bright future in shipbuilding sector.

Keywords: River draft, Shipbuilding heritage, Classed vessels, Naval

Architects.

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ II
CERTIFICATE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III
ABSTRACTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV
1.
2.
3.
4.

Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
Geographic location of Bangladesh --------------------------------------------------- 5
Main river systems and their properties ---------------------------------------------- 6
Factors influencing the emergence of
Shipbuilding zone -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
5. Current shipbuilding zone ---------------------------------------------------------------- 13
6. Shipbuilding industries -------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
6.1 public ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14
6.1.1 Chittagong Dry-dock limited ------------------------------------------------ 14
6.1.2 Under supervision of BN ---------------------------------------------------- 16
Khulna shipyard limited (KSY) --------------------------------------------- 17
Dockyard and Engineering Works (DEW) ------------------------------ 23
6.2 Privately owned shipyards ---------------------------------------------------------- 26
Class-A shipyards list ----------------------------------------------------------------- 27
Class-B shipyards list ----------------------------------------------------------------- 28
Class-C shipyards list ---------------------------------------------------------------- 29
6.2.1 Class A shipyards
Ananda Shipyard ------------------------------------------------------------- 31
Western Marine Shipyard -------------------------------------------------- 38
6.2.2 Class B shipyards
Three Angle Marine limited ------------------------------------------------ 47
Dhaka Dockyard & Engineering Works --------------------------------- 50
6.2.3 Class C shipyards ------------------------------------------------------------- 55
7. Problem analysis --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62
8. Solution and recommendation ---------------------------------------------------------- 66
9. Light of hope --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 67
10. Education relevant to shipbuilding ----------------------------------------------------- 69
11. Economic evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 70
12. Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72
LIST OF REFERENCE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 74
APPENDIX-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 74

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

vi

LIST OF TABLES

Name

page

Table 1: Timeline of shipbuilding activities in Bengal ---------------------------------- 1

Table 2: Projects completed by DEW ------------------------------------------------------ 25
Table 3: Class A shipyards list --------------------------------------------------------------- 27
Table 4: Class B shipyards list --------------------------------------------------------------- 28
Table 5: Class C shipyards list --------------------------------------------------------------- 29
Table 6: Infrastructure of ASSL -------------------------------------------------------------- 32
Table 7: Infrastructure of WMShL ----------------------------------------------------------- 39
Table 8: Completed projects by Dhaka Dock. -------------------------------------------- 52

LIST OF CHARTS
Name

page

Chart 1: Source of our collected data ----------------------------------------------------- 3

Chart 2: Relative labor rate ------------------------------------------------------------------ 12
Chart 3: Density of shipyards at different zone ----------------------------------------- 13
Chart 4: Classification of shipyards -------------------------------------------------------- 26

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Name

page

Figure 1: NASA satellite image of Bangladesh --------------------------- 5

Figure 2: The Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna basin -------------- 7
Figure 3: Ganges river delta --------------------------------------------------- 8
Figure 4: Few of the projects done by Ananda shipyard --------------- 11
Figure 5: Main office building of CDDL ------------------------------------- 14
Figure 6: Dry-dock facility ------------------------------------------------------ 15
Figure 7: Jetty of CDDL --------------------------------------------------------- 15
Figure 8: Machine shop of CDDL --------------------------------------------- 16
Figure 9: Fabrication shop of CDDL ------------------------------------------ 16
Figure 10: Front view of the KSY office complex -------------------------- 17
Figure 11: Location of KSY ------------------------------------------------------ 18
Figure 12: New shipbuilding at KSY ------------------------------------------- 18
Figure 13: A very old ship await at KSY to be repaired ------------------- 19
Figure 14: A worker doing repair work at KSY ------------------------------ 19
Figure 15: Berth facilities at KSY ----------------------------------------------- 21
Figure 16: Location of DEW ------------------------------------------------------ 23
Figure 17: Slipway of DEW ------------------------------------------------------- 24
Figure 18: Berth of DEW ---------------------------------------------------------- 24
Figure 19: Projects at DEW ------------------------------------------------------ 25
Figure 20: Location of Ananda -------------------------------------------------- 31

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

Figure 21: Shot blasting plant at Ananda ------------------------------------- 33

viii
Figure 22: CNC machine at Ananda ------------------------------------------- 33

Figure 23: Edge preparation machine at Ananda -------------------------- 34

Figure 24: Crane facility at Ananda -------------------------------------------- 35
Figure 25: Fork-lifter at Ananda ------------------------------------------------- 36
Figure 26: Western Marine Shipyard layout ---------------------------------- 38
Figure 27: Location of WMShL --------------------------------------------------- 39
Figure 28: Some projects completed by WMShL ---------------------------- 46
Figure 29: New shipbuilding at three angle marine Ltd. -------------------- 48
Figure 30: Ship repairing yards opposite to SADAR GHAT,
Char Kaligonj ------------------------------------------------------------ 55
Figure 31: Ship repairing yards at Char Mirerbagh --------------------------- 55
Figure 32: Slipway at Haque Shipbuilders -------------------------------------- 56
Figure 33: Workers are working at Haque Shipbuilders yard -------------- 57
Figure 34: Shipbuilding at Lal Miahs Dock ------------------------------------- 59
Figure 35: Shipbuilding at Mr. Alis Dock ---------------------------------------- 60
Figure 36: Disorganized shipyard layout ----------------------------------------- 62
Figure 37: Maximum risky works done manually ------------------------------- 63
Figure 38: Systematic shipyard layout -------------------------------------------- 67
Figure 39: Prof. Chen-Hwun visiting shipyards of Bangladesh ------------- 70

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)

Present scenario of shipbuilding industries in Bangladesh

ix

List of abbreviation

NAME Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

R&D Research & Development
DOS Department of Shipping
ASSL Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Limited
WMShL Western Marine Shipyard Limited
GDP Gross Domestic Product
PNU Pusan National University
UTM Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
CS Classification Society

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)