Maersk Line, one of the world’s leading shipping and logistics companies, has expressed interest in making direct investments in the shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh, alongside discussions on potential investment in the country’s ship recycling sector.
These matters were discussed in detail during a meeting held on Saturday at the residence of Khandoker Abdul Muktadir, minister for Commerce, Industries, and Textiles & Jute in Dhaka.
The meeting was attended by Ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh Christian Brix Møller, and Managing Director of AP Moller Singapore Pte Ltd René Piil Pedersen.
During the meeting, the Danish Ambassador conveyed Maersk Line’s keen interest in investing directly in Bangladesh’s shipbuilding sector, mentioning that the Danish enterprise has long operated with a global reputation in ship operations, shipping, and logistics.
Commerce Minister Khandoker Abdul Muktadir urged Maersk Line to expand its investment footprint into Bangladesh’s ship recycling industry as well.
He highlighted that since Maersk Line owns a large fleet of large-scale vessels, Bangladesh could serve as a promising centre for the environmentally friendly, international-standard recycling of its retired ships, alongside the construction of new vessels.
It was noted during the meeting that Bangladesh possesses long-standing experience and immense potential in both shipbuilding and ship recycling.
Attracting major international investments to these sectors would not only accelerate the country’s industrialisation but also enable it to leverage the potential of the blue economy.
Moreover, such investments could play a vital role in employment generation, technology and skills transfer, and the development of related industries.
The meeting was also attended by Joint Secretary (FTA) of the Ministry of Commerce Md Firoj Uddin, Joint Secretary (FTA-2) of the Ministry of Commerce Mahbuba Khatoon Minu, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Industries Khairuzzaman, Head of Business Development, Public Policy, and Regulatory Affairs (India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka) for AP Moller Maersk Group Vivek Sharma, Country Director (Public Affairs) of Maersk Bangladesh Ltd Khalid Gaffar, and Senior Advisor (Trade, Investment, and Danida Business) at Royal Danish Embassy Samina Ahsan Shahrukh.
