Bangladesh Maritime Law Society (BMLS) observed World Maritime Day 2026 by organising a maritime colloquium and excellence awards ceremony in Dhaka on Thursday (8 October), bringing together legal professionals, maritime experts, industry leaders and law students from 25 universities.
The BMLS Maritime Colloquium 2026 and Maritime Excellence Awards were held at The Westin Dhaka under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”
The event focused on translating maritime policies into practical action and strengthening Bangladesh’s maritime sector through legal, professional and institutional development, according to the organisers.
Khizir Ahmed Chowdhury, Judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, attended as chief guest. Md Zafar Ahmed, Judge of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh; Farzanah Chowdhury, MD and CEO of Green Delta Insurance PLC; and Commodore Fazlur Rahman, MD of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, attended as special guests. Advocate Shweata Mishra, Head of Chambers at MC Law Services Ltd, attended as the event’s Technical Partner.
BMLS President Mohiuddin Abdul Kadir delivered the welcome address, stressing the need to translate maritime policies into practical initiatives.
Four maritime dialogues were held, covering law and dispute resolution; seafarers and employment; ports and trade; marine insurance; and shipbuilding and sustainable ship recycling. Advocate Shweata Mishra delivered the closing remarks and vote of thanks.
The Maritime Excellence Awards were presented to Azam J Chowdhury, Farzanah Chowdhury, Sajid Hussain, Haque & Sons Limited, Karnafuly Ship Builders Limited, PHP Ship Breaking & Recycling Industries Ltd, Mohd Mehrul Karim, Tanjima Mostafa, Tanjil Ahmed Ruhullah, Tyser Group and MC Law Services Ltd.
Lifetime Achievement Awards were conferred on Captain M Zakaria, Captain M A Jalil, Ghulam M Suhrawardi and Captain Zillur Rahman Bhuiyan for their contributions to the maritime sector.
The Bangladesh Maritime Law Society is a specialised legal organisation working in shipping, admiralty and marine insurance law. It focuses on legal research, legal education and professional development and serves as the official representative of the Comité Maritime International (CMI) in Bangladesh.
