Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan on Thursday said no shipping accident took place in the country in the last three years as the ship owners and workers and the common people are now more conscious.
“The incidence of shipping accident has reduced drastically. The ministry has strengthened monitoring to check different irregularities…And now the ship owners, workers and the common people are more conscious,” he said while inaugurating the Maritime Safety Week-2018 at Shishu Academy here.
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry Major (Retd.) Rafiqul Islam, lawmakers Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury and Jebunnessa Afroze and Director General of Department of Shipping Commodore Syed Ariful Islam, among others, addressed the inaugural function.
Shajahan Khan said the rivers and ships are the driving force in the socio-economic development of a country.
Bangladesh is now on the highway of development under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, adding the government has allocated a huge number of development budget to boost up the shipping industry.
Shajahan said the government has taken proper steps to evacuate the illegal establishments on the banks of the rivers.
In the function, 13 individuals and organizations received awards for their outstanding contributions in the shipping sector.
