Trident Shipping fined Tk5 lakh for using foreign ship without waiver certificate

Trident Shipping, the Bangladeshi agent of the Hong Kong-flagged vessel MV Kanway Fortune, has been fined Tk5 lakh for transporting goods on a foreign ship without a waiver certificate.

On 12 March, Kanway Fortune  anchored in Chattogram port carrying goods from Malaysia's Port Kelang on behalf of Trident shipping.

"The local agent of the Hong Kong-based vessel applied for a waiver certificate to Mercantile Marine Office (MMO). But the application was rejected due to the availability of Bangladeshi flagged ships at that time," MMO Principal Officer Captain Sabbir Mahmood told The Business Standard.

The agent still carried the cargo in the foreign ship violating the Bangladesh Flag Vessels (Protection of Interest) Act, Sabbir added.

Delwar Hossain, senior general manager of Trident Shipping Line, said Bangladesh's reputation in the international maritime world is being undermined by such incidents.

He said, Flag Protection Act was made to promote the ships of Bangladesh Shipping Company, but now domestic private companies are taking advantage of it. 

The government enacted the Bangladesh Flag Vessels (Protection) Act to give priority to Bangladeshi flag vessels in the transportation of goods on international sea routes.

According to the law, foreign ship owners or their representatives have to apply online to the Mercantile Marine Office before loading the goods.

As per the law, 50% of the total cargo transported by ships is mandated to be carried on domestic flagged and state-owned ships. 

If the space is not vacant, the shipping agents have to obtain the mandatory waiver certificate as per the provisions of the law.