BSC receives new bulk vessel Banglar Nobojatra

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) officially received the delivery of its newly purchased bulk vessel MV Banglar Nobojatra on Tuesday.

Last year, BSC purchased two bulk carriers with its own funds for the first time. Banglar Nobojatra is the second and final vessel to be delivered.

The official delivery of the ship, previously named XCL Lion, was completed on January 27 at the London office of Stephenson Harwood LLP, the legal representative of the ship’s US-based supplier firm Hellenic Dry Bulk Ventures LLC, according to a press release.

BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek, along with representatives from the shipping ministry and senior officials of the BSC, were physically present at a ceremony to receive the vessel. Senior BSC officials and crew members joined the event virtually from Nanyang Shipyard in China.

As per the purchase agreement, the vessel’s physical delivery is scheduled to be completed today (January 29) at Jingjiang Nanyang Shipbuilding Co Ltd in China.

Following physical delivery, MV Banglar Nobojatra will be immediately deployed for commercial cargo operations, BSC MD Malek informed.

Under the contract, each ship was procured at $38.349 million, with the combined adjusted and recommended price of the two vessels standing at $76.698 million, which is about 4.6 percent lower than the official estimated cost of $80.40 million, according to the release.

The ships are designed with advanced technology, offering improved fuel efficiency and environmental performance in compliance with international standards. They are equipped with high-quality European and Japanese machinery and components.

BSC received the first vessel -- MV Banglar Progoti -- under the project from the same Chinese shipyard in October 2025. Within four days, the vessel was delivered to the Hong Kong-based charterer LTE Shipping at a charter rate of US$20,000 per day.