Marine Survey in Bangladesh: As a part of industry and trade, marine surveying existed in our sub-continent in the past, and the practice of surveying continued in free Bangladesh after independence as well. Due to the then situation and limited size of maritime trade in this country after independence, survey activities were comparatively less. After the development of maritime and shipping industry in newly independent Bangladesh, the marine survey profession gradually moved forward. At that time, mainly Master Mariners and Chief Engineers used to conduct surveys while they were onboard and on vacation on behalf of the interested merchant enterprises. Until the late eighties, there were only a few professional surveyors in this sector. However, in the following decades, this profession also grew in pace with the advancing speed of the wheels of international trade and national economy. In the early nineties, when the shipping business gained momentum and import- export trade started increasing, the number of surveys and surveyors started increasing gradually. In addition to traditional surveys such as quality and quantity assessment and pre-shipment of cargo, there was also a growing demand for Loss Prevention, Claims, Incident Investigation surveys by various international insurance companies that work for the shipowners, charterers, suppliers, consignees and shippers. As an emerging economic power, professional independent marine surveying has developed as a promising career in the maritime sector of Bangladesh.
In the mid-nineties, some experienced master mariners and chief engineers started to engage professionally in marine surveying. Along with this, they formed several survey companies. Later, the Ministry of Shipping, through its subordinate department, started adopting and implementing various policies with the aim of coordinating and harmonizing the functions of the shipping sector, which is known as the Bangladesh Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1983 (BMSO 1983). Since 1989, under this ordinance (BMSO 1983), the Department of Shipping has allowed experienced and qualified seafarers who are Class One certificate holders (First Class), to practice marine survey as ship surveyors. Later, in 2003, the government issued a Gazette called ‘Ship Surveyor (Certificate) Rules’, which is still in force. In addition to the 19 types of marine surveys specified in a ship surveyor’s certificate, a surveyor also conducts various other types of surveys, audits, inspections, assessments, etc. as needed.
Some statistics: A review of the statistics of the last 30 years shows that imports in the country increased by about 11.5 times and exports increased by about 5.5 times during the period from 1994 to 2024. The number of ships in sea ports has increased by about 3.5 times in the last 30 years. For example, in 1994, the number of ships arriving at Chittagong Port was 1,360. In 2023 and 2024, this number stood at 4,253 and 3,971 respectively. In the last fiscal year (2023-24), the volume of bulk and general cargo imports at Chittagong Port alone was 107.85
million metric tons. During this period (in the fiscal year 2023-24), 516 and 123 ships arrived at Mongla and Payra ports respectively. The imports were about 4.5 million tons and 5 million tons of bulk and general cargo, respectively. Bulk cargo refers to rice, pulses, wheat, corn, soybeans, peas, sugar, salt, cooking oil, fuel oil, clinker, gypsum, limestone, slag, feldspar, ceramic sand, ball clay, stone, coal, etc. imported in open form (or in bags). The quantity of these large quantities of bulk cargo imported on ships is determined through marine surveys. The unloading and distribution activities of the goods are carried out through marine surveys. Needless to say, limited quantities of export bulk goods are also shipped through marine surveys. In addition to cargo surveys, hundreds of other marine surveys are carried out on ships throughout the year on various issues for domestic and foreign importers, suppliers, time-charterers, sub-charterers, voyage-charterers, ship owners, insurance companies, etc. In addition, marine surveyors also serve as individual or company consultants in certain fields. It is estimated that a total of about 6,000 individual surveys are conducted annually at all seaports in the country. In addition, monitoring/ supervision of loading-unloading operations of imported general cargo, bulk cargo financed by foreign suppliers (subject to conditions) and delivered to domestic importers through hundreds of lighter ships, etc. are carried out under the supervision of marine surveyors or survey companies.
THE REPORT | SEP 2025 | ISSUE 113 | 87
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