Ananda Shipyard launches largest locally made ship for German company

Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Limited (ASSL) formally launched a Tk 940 million seagoing multi-purpose vessel, Enzian, for exporting to Germany.The 110 metres long, 16.5 metres wide

and 8.20 metres deep ship, the largest locally made vessel built for export, has 4,100 horsepower engine and 12.50 nautical miles speed per hour.
The ship has a capacity of 6,100 deadweight tonnage which has been built for a renowned German company, Komroski Maritim Gmbh.
The ship is ASSL's 11th seagoing vessel and has been launched at its yard at Meghnaghat under Sonargaon in Narayanganj. The company also built at least 300 different types and sizes of sea transports for the domestic market earlier.
Deputy managing directors of Islami Bank, the financing bank of the ship, Habibur Rahman and Setaur Rahman, Ananda Shipyard chairman Dr Abdullahel Bari, managing director Afroza Bari, deputy managing director Abdullah Nahid Nigar, executive director Tariqul Islam and buyer company representative Ataul Kabir were present during the launching programme.
The company officials said it took them about three years to build the ship and it will take six months more for final touch to send it to Germany.
"We will build our next ship in one and a half years as our skill and strength have been enhanced a lot and it will be of 7,200 deadweight tonnage capacity," said director (technical) Saiful Islam while talking to the FE.
Mr Saiful said the company is receiving a good number of orders from Germany and Denmark as Bangladesh is considered a cost effective destination for shipbuilding.
The main reason behind this is the competitive workforce and cutting edge production cost.
He said Ananda is now building 10 more ships to export mainly to Germany.
Dr Abdullahel Bari said Bangladesh is lagging behind in competition with global market counterparts for high bank interest rate and bank guarantee cost. "We are however making those hurdles up by our cheap labour, deep rivers and government patronisation in the sector," he added.
He demanded reduction of bank interest rate, multiple entry visa and VIP treatment for the foreign buyers.
Country representative of Germanischer Lloyd, the ship certifying institution of Germany, CR Zaman said Bangladesh can build 5,000-15,000 tonnes ship if government patronisation rises - specially in finance and re-finance, guarantee and re-guarantee and in case of interest rate.
He also said Bangladesh can set up a special ship building zone where ships up to 0.1 million tonnes capacity can be built. He preferred Kutubdia of Cox's Bazar for the zone.
Bangladesh has been building and exporting oceangoing multi-purpose ships since 2008, when Ananda exported its first vessel as the first local company to a Danish company.
The global financial meltdown forced many developed countries to stop producing small and medium oceangoing ships, which pushed the European buyers to shift their orders to Bangladesh, industry insiders said.
Though the labour cost comprises some 15 per cent of the total cost to build a ship here, it attracts European buyers towards Bangladesh as a builder of their choice.
At present, Ananda, Western Marine, Highspeed Shipbuilding, Dhaka Dockyard and Engineering Works, Khan Brothers Shipbuilding Ltd and Karnaphuli Shipyard are the leading shipbuilding companies that make ships for international buyers.
According to Export Promotion Bureau, these companies have received export orders of world-class seagoing vessels - both small and medium -worth $ 478 million with a deadline to deliver those by 2013.