BSAA on the backdrop of Maritime Bangladesh
Rich maritime history:
Bengal Delta (The Bengal Delta is the world's largest delta, draining almost all of the Himalayan sediments to the Bay of Bengal via the three major river systems: The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna) is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and maritime shipping has always been an integral part of the region's history.
The Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms of the region set up trading networks with Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and even Africa in the fourth century BC, which is when the oldest traces of maritime shipping through the Bay of Bengal appear.
The Bay of Bengal was also a major trading hub for the Europeans during the Age of Exploration. Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British ships all sailed through the bay in search of new goods and trading opportunities. Chattogram was referred to by Ibn Battuta, Ibn Majid, Ma Huan, Fei Sin, Caesar Fredrick, Ralph Fitch, Niccolao Manucci, Francois Bernier, Sebastien Manrique and other.
Historically, the Bay of Bengal has been a lifeline for merchants and traders from around the world, from the imperial Chinese fleets of the 15th century to the British East India Company in the 17th and 18th centuries.
By the end of the 19th century, the area had a well-developed system of railroads, seaports, and canals that allowed it to participate in the international marketplace. Seaports were the hub of a massive jute commerce in the early 20th century, when it was used to make sacks, carpets, and other goods.
Bangladesh, as the heartland of the Bengal Delta, has continued to play an important role as a maritime trading hub even in the current day. The country is an important recycling hub, and it is also home to the world's second-largest shipbreaking industry. Bangladesh's history and economy are deeply connected with the delta and the Bay of Bengal, and this tendency shows no indications of abating.
After the liberation war of 1971, Chittagong Port emerged as the principal port of new born Bangladesh. Gravely affected during the war, the government and the port administration ardently facilitated clearing Chittagong and Mongla ports off the wrecks and made it operational for handling international shipping. That includes the historical mine sweeping operation in Chittagong Port by the Soviet Union.
How maritime shipping evolved:
Sailing ships were the workhorses of the seas for the majority of nautical history. The wind propelled and guided these vessels. Square rigged ships, which had multiple big sails to catch the wind and push the ship forward, were the most prevalent style of sailing vessel. Sailors relied on a wide range of methods, including dead reckoning and star navigation, to find their way.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, steam-powered ships had essentially supplanted sailing vessels as the principal form of maritime transportation due to their greater speed and ability to sail against the wind.
Most merchant ships today are container ships powered by diesel engines. Additionally, contemporary vessels are outfitted with GPS and other navigational systems that make tracking and navigating vessels much simpler.
In general, maritime transportation has come a long way in the last several decades. The tools and methods used in maritime trade have evolved considerably throughout time, from sailboats and windmills to diesel ships and emission-free vessels. The shifting locations of various ports in the Bay of Bengal were also observed. Tamralipti in eastern India, Arikamedu in southern India, Mahabalipuram in eastern India, and Chittagong in Bangladesh were once important gateways to the Bay of Bengal. However, several of these harbours have lost their former glory in recent decades. Currently, the Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh, Chennai and Visakhapatnam in India, Yangon and Sittwe in Myanmar, Colombo in Sri Lanka, and Penang in Malaysia are all major seaports in the Bay of Bengal region.
Ports of Bangladesh:
The government has launched several important development initiatives in the country's main seaport Chattogram, and the second seaport Mongla. Payra, the country's third seaport, was opened in Kalapara, Patuakhali to bring large-scale shipping to the country's maritime sector. In Matarbari of Cox's Bazar's Maheshkhali Upazila, considerable work has been done to build the country's future commercial hub – the maiden deep seaport. A deep seaport is thus under construction as a part of a total of 34 projects, which would change the trajectory of the country's commercial operations by providing access to the global maritime trade by connecting local or regional hinterlands.
The Inception of Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association:
BSAA was founded in Chittagong on May 29, 1978, under the name Bangladesh Steamer Agents' Association. A branch of the BSAA was created in Khulna on October 25 of the same year. In 2002, the organization's name was changed to Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association. In accordance with the 1961 Trade Organizations Ordinance, it is registered with the Ministry of Commerce.