Capt. Zillur Rahman Bhuiyan has been elected as the President of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association for 1914-16. He is a Master Mariner and Ship Captain. In 1976 he started his sea carrier and command experience was from 1986-1989. He left sea in 1989 and thereafter have been pursuing the carrier in Marine Surveying & Consultancy for last 25 years.
He had professional exposure in the world class shipping industry and maritime fields in the port cities of Dubai and Singapore. Since 2003 continuing with the profession of Marine Surveying & Consultancy in Bangladesh and enlisted with a number of P&I Clubs and Lloyd’s syndicate. He is Managing Director of Marine care Consultants Bangladesh Limited – a consultancy firm for Marine Hull & Machinery, Cargo, P&I, Loss Control, Casualty Management, Port & Shipping matters and a Recognized Security Organization (RSO) approved by the Department of Shipping, Government of Bangladesh, for implementation of the ISPS Code in the port facilities of Bangladesh. Capt. Zillur Rahman Bhuiyan is a lead auditor for ISM Code, ISPS Code and a MLC Inspector. He is the Flag State Inspector for Liberia in Bangladesh ports.
He ia a Fellow of the Nautical Institute, UK, and its Council Member.
Also a Fellow of International Institute of Marine Surveying, UK, and a member of its Board of Directors. Capt. Zillur Rahman Bhuiyan is Certified Marine Surveyor, NAMS-Global, USA.
Recently embarked on the career in maritime education and training (MET) and presently the Deputy Commandant (Academic Affairs) of United Maritime Academy, Dhaka. He is an external examiner for the Department of Shipping (DoS), Government of Bangladesh.
BTE Editor : We on behalf of Bay Trade Express (BTE) family congratulate you for been elected as President of BMMOA. Please let know our readers about your feelings on publication of BTE as country’s first maritime newspaper?
Capt. Zillur Rahman : The maritime and shipping community in Bangladesh has been feeling the absence of publication in print media for them. The publication of BTE is a timely approach for keeping the shipping and trading industry updated with concurrent developments in these industries and connect the stake holders of port, shipping & maritime industry with the concerned administration and regulatory bodies.
BTE Editor : As a Master Mariner and Ship Captain you have gathered huge experience. Please state memorable experience of your sea carrier. Why did you plan to leave sea in 1989?
BMMOA President : I was Master of a container vessel and sailed from Chittagong in loaded condition in November 1988. A cyclone (TRS) was encountered while passing the coast of Myanmar and with heavy weather effect the vessel’s suspended rudder dropped and became free rotating. The vessel owner did not want the vessel to return to Chittagong and we sailed the vessel with jury rigging for approximately 1,400 n. miles. Aft capstan was used as the steering control using the crane wire rigged to the rudder edge. Rough weather again encountered in the Andaman Sea but we endured all by using jury rudder and had arrived Singapore without any damage to hull/ machinery/ containers. I had the plan to come ashore after 3 years of command and I did so in time.
BTE Editor : you have been pursuing the profession as Marine Surveyor & Consultant for last 25 years. From your vast experience in this field could you tell us, What actions can be taken to improve the safety of inland waterways of Bangladesh to avoid recurrence of tragedies like Pinak-6?
BMMOA President : There are a number of aspects attributable to the safety of inland waterways:
a) The lack of proper implementation of the existing rules and regulations during construction of the inland ships.
b) The lack of proper implementation of the existing rules and regulations during surveying of the inland ships.
c) Disregard of the inland ship-owners to safe construction and operation of their ships.
d) Lack of proper monitoring of operational condition and passenger loading condition of the inland vessels.
e) Lack of awareness of passengers on safety aspects of launch traveling.
In my opinion there should be a separate department for inland shipping providing undivided attention to the inland water transportation matters, leaving Department of Shipping as the maritime administration of the country for regulating merchant shipping maters.
BTE Editor : You have visited and worked in several countries around the world. Please say something about the success stories of other nations in maritime field which could be a lesson for us to achieve them here.
BMMOA President : Maritime field is a service sector and comprises services provided by the ports to the local trading community and enhance international trade and commerce through international shipping service. International shipping brings correlated service sectors like bunkering, ship repairs, supplies of
stores & provisions, surveying, salvage etc. Singapore and UAE are not ship-owning or seafaring nation but they have gained world reputation as best service providers for the shipping industry. Their success is based on adequate port facilities and efficient honest service, not cheating others in providing services.
Due to location of our present sea ports we are not in the vicinity of the shipping transit routes but still there are scope and rooms for improvement in shipping related services such ship repairs, dry docking, bunkering and stores & provision supplies. Large size dry docking and ship repair facilities are demanding requirements.
BTE Editor : What we can do for maximum utilization of our sea resources?
BMMOA President : I am not an expert on the sea resources of Bangladesh, like sub-sea gas exploration, deep sea fishing, extraction of minerals. Since the maritime dispute between Bangladesh-Myanmar and Bangladesh-India in the Bay of Bengal is settled and over, it is now time for Bangladesh to make an in-depth search and to explore the unknown resources hidden in the Bay of Bengal to the benefit the country and countrymen.
In my opinion, out of various maritime related recourses, I envisage human resources to be most suited prospects for Bangladesh. I am going to talk about it later.
BTE Editor : As an elected president of BMMOA you have taken several initiatives, which was overlooked for decades since inception of BMMOA. What is the progress of them?
BMMOA President : My first and foremost objective was to bring all mariners under the umbrella of BMMOA irrespective of their background, rank and service type & experience, and make them feel that BMMOA is the only organization in Bangladesh that represents all Bangladeshi merchant marine officers and that can protect their interests.
The constitution of BMMOA is old and obsolete in view of the changes taken place in the employment aspects of Bangladeshi mariners. Already the draft constitution has been amendment twice and the final amendment will be placed in a general meeting for approval. There is no database of the member of BMMOA and the same has been prepared and will be published very soon.
The previous website of BMMOA is not accessible and office email address is not operational. New interactive BMMOA website has already been developed and is going to be accessible shortly. The new office email address is already active and my Eid Greetings have been transmitted as the first email from this new email address to all members and mariners.
An advisory panel to the Executive Committee has been formed comprising mariners ranging from very senior mariners to junior entrepreneur mariners.
BTE Editor : What are your short and long term plans for welfare of BD seafarers?
BMMOA President : The welfare of Bangladeshi seafarers depends on their employment with proper terms and conditions. Presently the job markets for Bangladeshi seafarers are shrinking due to following factors:
a) Visa restriction imposed by various countries which are shipping hubs and joining/signing-off of Bangladeshi seafarers has become difficult.
b) Fake CDC and CoC
c) Illegal appointment and engagement by licensed and unlicensed manning agents
d) Deserting ship.
The visa restriction matter is going to be taken up with the Department of Shipping and Ministry of Shipping
shortly and if necessary honorable Prime Minister will be approached.
Fake documentation, illegal appointment and deserting ships are issue related to stake holders of this industry and corrective measures should come from the stake holders with punitive measures to be taken by the Administration.
Once jobs are available to the Bangladeshi seafarers their welfare is not a difficult issue now a days, if MLC 2006 Convention is properly implemented. Bangladesh has ratified the MLC 2006 Convention. Though it is not yet in force but going to be in force shortly.
BMMOA is the right body to be party to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) representing the interest of the seafarers. Also a standard term and conditions governing the employment of Bangladeshi seafarers on board ocean going vessels shall be prepared by BMMOA to protect the interest of Bangladeshi seafarers.
BTE Editor : How can we improve our country image abroad for better branding of BD seafarers?
BMMOA President : The major part of answer to this question is given above in terms of suppressing the acts of fake documentation, illegal appointment and deserting ships. All stake holders of the maritime industry must act with concerted efforts to eliminate these awful vice and bring good name to the Bangladeshi seafarers.
The other factor of better branding of Bangladeshi seafarers is the high standard of maritime education and training (MET) exceeding the minimum requirements given in the STCW 1978 Convention, as amended. The Department of Shipping has a significant role to play in this regard.
BTE Editor : What can we do for development of maritime industry of Bangladesh which shall be able to contribute more to our national economy, GDP and Forex reserves?
BMMOA President : The best possible way of contributing to the national economy from the maritime industry is to export well trained seafarer. Being a populous country, Bangladesh is probably the next best potential country after Philippines to provide trained seafarers to world shipping.
Philippines has total population of 100 mil (10 crore) and out of total 9.5 mil (95 lacs) overseas workers the seafarers are 500,000 (5 lacs) or approximately 5% by number but 31% of the total remittance from the overseas workers is from the Filipino seafarers. There are 80,000 overseas seafarers in Myanmar and they remit USD 140 mil a year. On the other hand, out of 87 lacs of Bangladeshi overseas workers the seafarer is only approximately 6,000.
The wages of seafarers per person is much higher than that of any professional, skilled or semiskilled worker.
The raw material (human resources) is free, the infrastructure for maritime education and training are in place. We need an efficient regulatory body and overseas employment opportunity to flourish this sector of maritime industry contributing significantly to the GDP and forex reserve.
BTE Editor : Please tell us about Bangladesh Maritime Forum, its formation , mission, vision , policy and objectives in short.
BMMOA President : A Maritime Forum has been formed by the following organizations of the maritime industry of Bangladesh:
Alumni Association of Bangladesh Marine Academy (AABMA)
Association of Maritime Training Institutions of Bangladesh (AMTIB)
Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association (BMMOA)
BangladeshShip Manning Agents Association (BSMAA)
Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)
The Nautical Institute Bangladesh (NIB)
This Maritime Forum is formed to focus on the common core issues of the maritime industry of Bangladesh and make concerted efforts to resolve the difficulties faced, with the support and cooperation of related Government bodies, and expedite the process, without repeated approach to the authorities by each of the organizations.
At present the Forum is going to deal with:
Employment of Bangladeshi Seafarers.
Maritime Education & Training, and Bangladesh to maintain its White List standard as per STCW Convention 1978, as amended.
BTE Editor : Thank you for sharing your valuable thoughts with us for BTE readers.