Three Landing Crafts Exported from Chittagong’s Western Marine Shipyard to UAE

PNN News Desk, Chittagong

Western Marine Shipyard, a Bangladeshi shipbuilder and exporter on the Karnaphuli River, Chittagong, is delivering three new landing crafts—Maya, SMS Emi, and Muna—to Marwan & Trading Company LLC in the UAE.

The delivery ceremony was held today (Thursday) at Western Marine Shipyard in Patiya, Chittagong. The UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh, Abdullah Ali Abdullah Khasif Al Hamudi, attended as chief guest.

Special guests included Abdul Rahim Khan, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce; Ahmed Mohammad Husain Al Marzuki, Managing Director of Marwan Shipping & Trading Company LLC; DIG Ahsan Habib of Chittagong Range Police; Coast Guard officials, and others.

Ambassador Abdullah Al Hamudi said, “Exporting three new landing crafts from Bangladesh to the UAE opens new horizons for bilateral cooperation in the maritime sector. The longstanding collaboration between Western Marine and Marwan will expand further.”

Abdul Rahim Khan added, “With private sector participation alongside government initiatives, shipbuilding for export is gaining momentum. This adds a new dimension to our maritime industry.”

The three landing crafts were custom-built for the client. Each is capable of offshore supply, cargo transport, and various maritime trade tasks. They measure 69 meters in length, 16 meters in width, have a 3-meter draft, and can travel at 10 nautical miles per hour. The 700 square meter clear deck allows transport of heavy equipment and bulk cargo.

Captain Sohel Hasan, Managing Director of Western Marine, mentioned that last year they received a large order of eight ships from Marwan, including the ‘Ryan’ landing craft and two tugboats, ‘Khalid’ and ‘Ghaia,’ which have already been delivered.

Deputy General Manager (Commercial) Shahidul Bashar said, “Constructing a landing craft usually costs $7–8 million, but for these three, the client paid only $2.2 million for labor. They were ready for delivery in less than a year.”

In total, the contract includes eight ships: two tugboats, four landing crafts, and two oil tankers. Four landing crafts and two tugboats are being exported this year, while the two oil tankers will be delivered by 2026.