For nearly three and a half months, the crew of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation vessel MV Banglar Joyjatra remained stranded in Iranian waters as tensions between Iran and Israel threatened to spill across one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The 31 Bangladeshi sailors onboard spent two Eid festivals away from home while living under the threat of missile attacks, drone strikes and sea mines.
When the vessel finally crossed the Strait of Hormuz and reached Fujairah Port this week, it marked the end of a dangerous chapter for the crew.
For Bangladesh’s maritime industry, however, the episode highlighted a larger question.
Why does a country whose seafarers routinely work through wars, piracy threats and geopolitical crises generate only about $800 million a year from one of the world’s most globalised professions?
Industry leaders argue that Bangladesh possesses all the ingredients needed to become a major supplier of maritime manpower, yet policy shortcomings, training constraints and international mobility barriers continue to limit growth.
According to the Bangladesh Bank, Bangladeshi seafarers remit nearly $800 million annually through formal banking channels.
Captain Md Anam Chowdhury, President of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association (BMMOA), believes the figure could increase to between $3 billion and $4 billion annually with the right reforms.
“This is entirely legal or green money,” he said.
The opportunity is significant.
Nearly 90 per cent of global trade moves by sea. Merchant ships transport energy, food, raw materials and manufactured goods across continents, creating constant demand for skilled officers, engineers and crew.
Bangladesh currently has around 19,000 registered seafarers, including approximately 12,000 officers and engineers and another 7,000 ratings.
At any given time, between 8,000 and 9,000 Bangladeshis are serving aboard merchant vessels around the world.
Government Shipping Office Shipping Master Mir Aftabul Kawsar said approximately 10,000 Bangladeshi seafarers sign on each year.
Around 8,000 Bangladeshis remain onboard domestic and foreign-going vessels annually, while nearly 65 per cent serve on foreign-flagged ships.
Bangladesh also handles roughly 5,000 crew changes every year involving both local and foreign seafarers.
Despite those numbers, the country remains a relatively small player in the global maritime labour market compared with major seafarer-exporting nations such as the Philippines and India.
Industry stakeholders say Bangladesh’s challenge is not a shortage of manpower.
It is a shortage of systems.
The training challenge
The first bottleneck lies in training and certification.
Global shipping companies increasingly demand internationally recognised qualifications, practical competence and compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), the global benchmark governing maritime education and professional standards.
Industry leaders say Bangladesh has expanded maritime education over the years, but employers increasingly seek higher levels of competency and practical expertise.
Anam said Bangladesh must ensure full compliance with STCW requirements while investing in internationally recognised training programmes, qualified examiners and competent instructors.
Without that foundation, the country risks losing ground to competing labour suppliers.
The issue becomes more acute as shipping companies adopt increasingly sophisticated vessels requiring advanced technical and operational skills.
The sea-time bottleneck
Even when cadets complete their classroom education and obtain professional certificates, many encounter another obstacle.
Sea-time.
Practical onboard experience is required before cadets can advance through the professional ranks.
Industry leaders say many Bangladeshi cadets struggle to secure those placements.
As a result, qualified candidates often remain stuck at the entry level, unable to progress into officer positions that command substantially higher salaries.
Stakeholders argue that guaranteed sea-time opportunities after obtaining first professional certificates would significantly increase the number of internationally employable officers and engineers.
Visa restrictions replace traditional risks
Historically, seafarers worried about storms, accidents and piracy.
Today, many in the industry identify visa restrictions as the most immediate threat to employment.
The BMMOA says the United Arab Emirates has effectively stopped issuing visas for Bangladeshi seafarers.
Egypt has also tightened entry requirements, allowing access only through limited special arrangements.
The consequences are particularly severe during crew changes.
Commercial shipping depends on crews joining and leaving vessels on tight schedules. Delays can cause ships to miss voyages, disrupt contracts and increase operating costs.
Industry leaders note that while Indian seafarers can obtain visas on arrival in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi sailors often wait nearly three months for Indian visas.
Commercial vessels cannot remain in port while such delays are resolved.
The result is lost jobs and missed contracts.
Commodore (Retd) Syed Ariful Islam, former Director General of the Department of Shipping and Project Lead of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network Bangladesh (MACN-BD), said visa complications have emerged as the sector’s biggest challenge.
“In reality, today’s biggest challenge for Bangladeshi seafarers is no longer war alone—it is visa complications,” he said.
“Since August 2024, several countries have tightened visa procedures for Bangladeshi seafarers. This is disrupting crew changes, delaying ship joining and affecting employment continuity.”
He said the issue requires urgent diplomatic engagement.
Reputation matters
Industry insiders acknowledge that Bangladesh’s international standing has also suffered because some individuals attempted overseas travel using forged Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDCs), fake maritime certificates and fraudulent passports.
Although such cases involve a small minority, they have contributed to stricter scrutiny by foreign authorities.
Stakeholders say restoring confidence will require stronger oversight of certification systems, tighter enforcement and greater accountability across the sector.
Building a maritime export industry
Industry leaders are also calling for broader institutional reforms.
Among their proposals are the creation of a dedicated marine cadre and greater representation of experienced mariners in policymaking positions.
They argue that maritime decisions are often taken without sufficient industry expertise, limiting the effectiveness of reforms.
For stakeholders, the opportunity is too large to ignore.
A workforce of 19,000 seafarers already generates nearly $800 million annually despite training bottlenecks, visa restrictions and limited policy support.
They believe stronger compliance with international standards, internationally recognised training, qualified instructors, competent examiners, guaranteed sea-time opportunities, stronger certification oversight and more active diplomacy could transform the sector.
The experiences of Banglar Joyjatra in the Strait of Hormuz, Banglar Samriddhi in Ukraine, MV Gold Autumn in the Gulf and MV Abdullah in pirate-infested waters demonstrate the resilience of Bangladeshi seafarers.
The question facing policymakers is whether the country can match that resilience with reforms.
If it can, industry leaders say, Bangladesh may discover that one of its most promising export sectors has been hiding in plain sight—aboard the ships already carrying global trade across the world’s oceans.
