Local firm builds 4 big cargo ships

The local ship building company, Western Marine Shipyard Limited, has completed construction of four cargo ships.
The ships having carrying capacity of 2040 tonnes each as against the usual capacity ranging from 1000 tonnes to 2000 tonnes of locally made ones would be delivered to the buyer, Brave Royal Shipping Limited, through a ceremony today.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Commodore Muhammad Farooque is expected to attend the ceremony at the Chittagong Old Airport, adjacent to Boat Club, as the chief guest.
Sources said Western Marine Shipyard Limited, a sister concern of reputed Western Marine Group, built the four ships at its own shipyard near Shikalbaha Power Plant at Kolagaoin in Patiya, applying local technology.
The ships MV Royal Crown, Royal Star, Royal Seagull and Royal Bay are equipped with latest navigation equipment. The construction work was started in November in 2005.
Brave Royal has purchased the ships at a cost of Tk 30 crore, sources said.
Managing Director of Western Marine Shipping Ltd Md Sakhawat Hossain said Germanischer Lloyd, an international classification society, and Bangladesh Inland Waterways and Transportation Authorities (BIWTA) have certified the ships built at the world-class shipyard.
“We have also received order from a European company to supply five container ships having capacity of 4,100 tonnes each,” he disclosed.