Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hussain, Shipping Adviser of Bangladesh, paid a high-profile visit on 8 April 2025 to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London, underscoring Bangladesh’s growing leadership in sustainable maritime practices and ship recycling.

During a reception at the IMO Delegates Lounge, Dr. Hussain formally announced Bangladesh’s candidature for Category C of the IMO Council for the 2026–2027 term. The event was attended by IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, ambassadors, permanent representatives, and delegates from numerous member states and international organizations. The Bangladeshi delegation included High Commissioner and Permanent Representative to the IMO Abida Islam, Deputy High Commissioner Hazrat Ali Khan, DG Shipping Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam, and other senior officials.

As a symbolic gesture highlighting Bangladesh’s maritime heritage, Dr. Hussain inaugurated a new exhibit at the IMO Secretariat – a model replica of a Bangladeshi ship, crafted by Khulna Shipyard Ltd. The exhibit celebrates Bangladesh’s strategic location in the Indo-Pacific and its significant role in global trade, with over 5,000 ships calling at its ports annually and a fleet comprising 95 oceangoing and more than 20,000 coastal vessels.

A central focus of the visit was Dr. Hussain’s meeting with the SENSREC (Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling in Bangladesh) project team. The discussions centered on future technical cooperation activities, particularly in the field of ship recycling – a sector where Bangladesh has emerged as a global leader.

Bangladesh’s ratification of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships was instrumental in triggering the Convention’s entry into force. The SENSREC project, supported by the IMO and the Government of Norway, has been pivotal in strengthening Bangladesh’s ship recycling and hazardous waste management legislation, aligning it with international standards. Recent efforts have included drafting legislative amendments and capacity-building initiatives to ensure environmental protection and worker safety in the shipbreaking sector.