ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed establishing a formal cooperation framework between the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) and the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) to deepen maritime collaboration.

The proposal was presented by Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry during a meeting in London with retired Brigadier General Dr. M. Sakhawat Hussain, an adviser on shipping for Bangladesh.

The proposal envisions a comprehensive partnership encompassing joint container and bulk shipping services, technical training programmes, cooperation on maritime safety and seafarer development, reciprocal port-call facilitation, and strengthened senior-level diplomatic and technical engagement.

The minister emphasised Pakistan’s broader goal of building cooperative frameworks with Bangladesh through platforms such as the IMO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on seafarer-related matters, as well as relevant regional maritime groupings.

He highlighted KPT’s expanding capacity, ongoing modernisation initiatives, and improved turnaround times as evidence of Pakistan’s readiness to support regional trade flows. The minister said closer port-to-port collaboration could ease logistics challenges, reduce regional bottlenecks, and open new avenues for commercial integration across South Asia.

To sustain momentum, both sides noted that launching a Pakistan-Bangladesh Maritime Dialogue would be a structured platform for regular discussions on port development, shipping sector cooperation, the blue economy, fisheries, and other emerging maritime issues.­

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2025