Western Marine Shipyard
A Bangladeshi shipbuilding company based on the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Western Marine Shipyard Limited is a Bangladeshi shipbuilding company operating from a large industrial yard beside the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram. It developed from Western Marine Services, a marine-services business established by professionals specializing in ship repair and the export of marine supplies. The company subsequently expanded from repair and inland-vessel work into the construction of a broad range of commercial, passenger, fishing, port-service, and specialized vessels. The shipyard occupies more than 42 acres and has been described as employing more than 3,500 people across its facilities. Its production infrastructure includes fabrication yards and sheds, a bonded warehouse, blasting and CNC shops, mechanical and carpentry workshops, logistical equipment, and a gantry crane. The site also includes healthcare provision for employees and nearby residents. Western Marine has cooperated with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on workplace safety and occupational health initiatives. Its vessel portfolio includes ocean-going multipurpose cargo ships, passenger vessels and boats, oil tankers, roll-on/roll-off ferries, pontoons, barges, fishing trawlers, dredgers, tugboats, container vessels, and other inland and coastal craft. The company has built vessels for domestic customers, including work associated with Evergreen Shipping Line, and has exported ships to markets in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, and Latin America. The shipyard works with classification societies such as Bureau Veritas, DNV-GL, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), and Lloyd's Register during vessel construction and testing. Western Marine's development reflects Bangladesh's broader effort to establish a stronger export-oriented shipbuilding sector. It entered the 2000s with land for inland-vessel construction and a workforce exceeding 500, later scaling its physical footprint and industrial capacity. The company also signed a memorandum of understanding with Chittagong Dry Dock to support heavy steel engineering capabilities and provide technical assistance. The business has received several Bangladeshi industry and export distinctions, including a National Maritime Award, a National Export Trophy in the Gold category, the President's Award for Industrial Development in the high-technology industries category, and an HSBC Export Excellence Award. At the same time, the company has faced significant banking and debt-repayment pressure. In 2017 it was identified by Bangladesh's finance minister among the country's major loan defaulters. In 2021, Bank Asia began legal proceedings concerning a classified loan. These developments form an important part of the company's public business record, although available reference material does not establish the eventual outcome of all related proceedings. In 2019, Captain Sohail Hasan became managing director. Western Marine remains associated with vessel construction, marine engineering, export shipbuilding, and the industrial development of Bangladesh's maritime sector.
History
Western Marine Shipyard grew out of Western Marine Services, a company formed by marine professionals whose initial activities included ship repair and the export of marine supplies. Its early development was connected to Bangladesh's inland and coastal maritime economy. By 2000, the business had more than 1.5 acres of land dedicated to inland-vessel construction and employed more than 500 people, indicating a transition from a service-oriented marine enterprise toward industrial vessel production. The company later expanded its Chattogram operations beside the Karnaphuli River into a shipyard of more than 42 acres. Its facilities include fabrication areas, workshops, a bonded warehouse, blasting and CNC operations, mechanical and carpentry shops, logistical equipment, and a gantry crane. This industrial base allows the company to produce different vessel types rather than focusing on one narrow class. Its output has included cargo ships, passenger craft, tankers, ferries, pontoons, barges, fishing trawlers, dredgers, tugboats, and container vessels. Western Marine has also pursued export shipbuilding. Reference material states that it exported 31 ships to customers in a range of countries, including Finland, Germany, Pakistan, Denmark, Tanzania, Uganda, Ecuador, New Zealand, Gambia, Kenya, India, and the United Arab Emirates. The yard has built vessels for domestic operators as well, including a program involving 20 class-certified cargo vessels for Evergreen Shipping Line. Construction and testing have been undertaken in cooperation with recognized classification organizations, including Bureau Veritas, DNV-GL, ClassNK, and Lloyd's Register. Institutional cooperation has been part of the yard's development. Western Marine signed a memorandum of understanding with Chittagong Dry Dock intended to assist the development of heavy steel engineering capabilities and provide technical support. The company also worked with GIZ and Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on occupational safety and worker healthcare. The resulting programs included formal risk reporting, training for managers and workers, annual firefighting training, and a primary healthcare center offering medical examinations and treatment. The facility was also made available to the surrounding community. The company received recognition through several national and export-related awards. These included a National Maritime Award in 2007, a Gold-category National Export Trophy for fiscal-year contribution in 2011, the President's Award for Industrial Development in the high-technology industries category in 2016, and an HSBC Export Excellence Award in 2018. Western Marine's public record also includes financial stress. In 2017, Bangladesh's finance minister named it among the country's leading loan defaulters. The company rescheduled defaulted loans with two banks and reportedly resumed regular instalment payments. In 2021, Bank Asia commenced legal proceedings concerning a classified loan reported at Tk505.90 crore. The available reference material does not establish the ultimate resolution of that litigation. Captain Sohail Hasan became managing director in 2019. The company's continuing identity is tied to export-capable Bangladeshi shipbuilding, marine engineering, and the construction of commercial and specialized vessels for domestic and overseas buyers.
- 2021
Bank Asia legal proceedings
[1]Bank Asia initiated proceedings concerning a classified loan reported at Tk505.90 crore.
- 2019
Sohail Hasan becomes managing director
[1]Captain Sohail Hasan took over as managing director.
- 2018
HSBC Export Excellence Award
[1]The shipyard received recognition at the eighth HSBC Export Excellence Awards.
- 2017
Listed among major loan defaulters
[1]The finance minister identified Western Marine among Bangladesh's top twenty loan defaulters; the company later rescheduled loans with two banks.
- 2016
President's Award for Industrial Development
[1]Western Marine received the President's Award for Industrial Development in the high-technology industries category.
- 2011
Gold-category National Export Trophy
[1]The company received a National Export Trophy in the Gold category for its contribution during the relevant fiscal year.
- 2007
National Maritime Award
[1]Western Marine Shipyard received a National Maritime Award.
- 2000
Expansion into inland-vessel construction
[1]The business had more than 1.5 acres for inland-vessel construction and employed more than 500 people.
Products and positioning
An export-oriented Bangladeshi shipbuilder serving domestic and international owners with commercially and class-certified vessels across cargo, passenger, fishing, port-service, and specialized marine segments.
Commercial ships
Multipurpose cargo vessels
Western Marine builds ocean-going and class-certified multipurpose cargo vessels for domestic and export customers. These ships form part of the yard's broader commercial-ship portfolio and are constructed and tested with the involvement of recognized classification societies.
Passenger marine transport
Passenger vessels and boats
The shipyard produces passenger vessels and boats for inland, coastal, and other marine transport applications. The available reference material does not identify individual model names or standardized product families.
Specialized commercial vessels
Tankers and roll-on/roll-off ferries
Western Marine's reported construction range includes oil tankers and roll-on/roll-off ferries. These vessel types demonstrate the yard's ability to undertake specialized commercial projects beyond conventional cargo ships.
Marine workboats
Fishing and port-service vessels
The yard builds fishing trawlers, dredgers, tugboats, pontoons, and barges. Such vessels support fisheries, dredging, towing, construction, logistics, and port operations in Bangladesh and overseas markets.
Commercial ships
Container vessels
Container vessels are among the ship types associated with Western Marine's production capabilities. No specific vessel class, model designation, or launch date is identified in the available material.
Controversies
2021
Bank Asia loan-recovery proceedings
Bank Asia initiated legal proceedings to recover a classified loan reported at Tk505.90 crore. The final outcome is not stated in the available reference material.
2017
Loan-default listing
Bangladesh's finance minister identified Western Marine Shipyard among the country's top twenty loan defaulters. The company later rescheduled defaulted loans with two banks and reportedly began regular repayments.
Marketing campaigns
- Workplace safety and occupational health program
Bangladesh
Western Marine worked with GIZ and Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to assess workplace risks, establish reporting procedures, train workers and managers, and provide annual firefighting training. A primary healthcare center offered examinations and treatment to workers and the nearby community.
Outcome. Reference material reports a 99% reduction in accidents after the introduction of additional services and procedures.
Brand decisions
2017
Rescheduling of defaulted bank loansStrategyBackground
The company was identified among Bangladesh's major loan defaulters.
Action taken
Western Marine rescheduled defaulted loans with two banks and reportedly began paying instalments regularly.
Aftermath
The later legal proceedings initiated by Bank Asia indicate that financial and repayment issues remained part of the company's public record.
Sources2 sources
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