The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre has warned that emerging Asian export powerhouse Bangladesh is suffering from increased piracy incidents.
The report notes that there have been nine piracy incidents in the first five months of the year, compared to just one in the same period in 2023.
The report advised shipping when at anchor or at berth in Bangladesh to to exercise enhanced vigilance, and to maintain communication over VHF channels with the port control and law enforcement agencies when entering Bangladesh waters.
Both the country’s navy and its coast guard have increased patrols in recent months while the Chittagong Port Authority has established a visual tracking information management system to monitor the movement of small country boats in the port’s anchorage and outer anchorage areas.
Saudi Arabian operator Red Sea Gateway Terminal welcomed the 2,086 teu Maersk Davao to Patenga Container Terminal last week, ushering in a much-welcomed expansion of container handling in Bangladesh, a nation where exports are soaring but port capacity has faced congestion for years.