FMC Dockyard gets foreign order to build tugboats

Chattogram based shipbuilding company FMC Dockyard Ltd has received a new work order from the Sudanese government to build ASD tugboats, with the export value of the state-of-the-art marine vessels being $13 million.

The shipbuilder is expecting to commence building the tugboats within the next 15 days, subject to approval of drawing and design by the Classification Society, reads a press release issued on Wednesday. 

"I have always focused on creating a new global market for Bangladesh. Consequently, there was an urge to prove that," said Mohammad Yasin Chowdhury, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of FMC Dockyard.

"The African continent should also be a lucrative new market for Bangladeshi shipbuilders, besides Europe, America or the Middle East, and we are proud to have the immense opportunity to export vessels from Bangladesh to Sudan for the first time."   

Yasin Chowdhury added that Bangladesh is gradually overcoming the stagnation in domestic and global trade. Various steps taken by the government for industrial establishments during the pandemic period have also been helpful to overcome this recession.

Moreover, FMC is about to soon receive more work orders to export vessels from Bangladesh to various countries, to the tune of $200 million, although things are getting delayed due to the Covid 19 pandemic, according to the press release.

FMC Dockyard Ltd is now building various types of quite sophisticated vessels such as LCTs, TCVs, multipurpose and survey vessels with multibeam echo sounders, container ships, oil tankers, passenger ships, fishing trawlers, and dredgers and tugboats.

The company is exporting vessels abroad after meeting local demand.

Since it was established in 2006, FMC Dockyard has so far built approximately 200 new vessels for various governments and autonomous and private organizations. Currently it is working on various projects with work order values amounting to approximately Tk1,200 crore in total. FMC Dockyard is also a trustworthy partner in ship repairing and jetty construction, added the press release.