Govt moves to cut vessel registration fees

The government has taken an initiative to reduce vessel registration fees to ensure hassle-free, simple and low-cost ownership registration for watercraft owners and workers, State Minister for Shipping Md Rajib Ahsan said yesterday.

Field officials from the Department of Shipping will provide necessary assistance to vessel owners and workers to facilitate ownership verification and registration, Rajib said.

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He was speaking at a meeting held at the Mahipur Fish Landing Station in Kalapara, Patuakhali.

The meeting was organised to raise awareness about the ongoing “Watercraft Census 2026”, which began on August 20, said a press release from the ministry.

The Department of Shipping and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) are jointly conducting the census, which will continue until August 29.

Information on 2,44,808 vessels has already been gathered through preliminary listing operations.

“If this census is completed successfully, local vessel owners, transport workers, and fishermen will be the primary beneficiaries,” said Rajib, adding that an integrated database will curb harassment, reduce litigation, and establish order and safety on waterways by improving passenger and cargo transit standards.

He said inclusion in the census database would serve as official proof of ownership, enabling owners to easily register vessels in their names, claim compensation, secure legal aid and access government support -- particularly during seasonal fishing ban periods.

The state minister assured fishermen that a lighthouse would be set up at the river-sea estuary to ensure safe navigation back to port.