IUB hosts seminar on emerging industries in Bangladesh’s blue economy

The Center for Bay of Bengal Studies (CboBS) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) organised a seminar titled “Planning Perspective on the Emerging Industries in the Blue Economy Sector of Bangladesh” on October 12, 2026, at the university’s DMK Lecture Gallery.

Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, State Minister for Planning, attended the seminar as the chief guest. Javed Hosein, Member of the IUB Board of Trustees, was present as the special guest. Vice-Chancellor Prof. M Tamim delivered the welcome address.

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The state minister said, “Blue economy, or marine resource management, is another major priority for the government. The Prime Minister’s Office has a dedicated Blue Economy Cell, which is working to improve coordination among institutions engaged in this sector and bring them together on a common platform. The Ministry of Planning has also identified several thrust sectors, including shipbuilding, port management and development. Another government priority is to improve connectivity between our ports and industrial production centres. Equal importance is being given to rail and inland waterways alongside road transport.”

He also said, “If we are to transform Bangladesh into a trillion-dollar economy by 2034, marine resource management must become a significant contributor to our GDP. Universities have a crucial role to play in developing the skilled human resources needed to achieve this goal. This will require a trinity among three key sectors: the government, academia, and the private sector. I thank IUB and its Center for Bay of Bengal Studies for doing their part and working to draw the government’s attention to these issues.”

Javed Hosein said, “Chattogram Port carries almost all of Bangladesh’s container trade. It takes about 3-5 days to unload a 21,000 tonne fuel oil tanker in Bangladesh. In Singapore, it takes about 4-5 hours. Our garment export products usually take about 95 days to reach its destination after the fabric is made, compared to 60 days in Vietnam, and 32 days in China. This happens mainly because of corruption.”

Rear Admiral Md Khurshed Alam (Retd), Director of IUB’s Center for Bay of Bengal Studies, delivered the keynote presentation, highlighting the future prospects of the Blue Economy and emerging industries. Prof. Dr Bakhtiar Ahmed, Dean of IUB’s School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, delivered the vote of thanks. The programme was moderated by Marium Binte Hassan Farin, student of Environmental Science and Management at IUB.