State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki on Monday said Bangladesh must make marine resource management a significant contributor to its gross domestic product (GDP) to achieve the target of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2034.

“Equal importance is being given to rail and inland waterways alongside road transport,” he said while addressing a seminar titled “Planning Perspective on the Emerging Industries in the Blue Economy Sector of Bangladesh.”

The Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) organised the programme at its DMK Lecture Gallery.

Saki said the government has identified several priority sectors under the blue economy, including shipbuilding, port management and development, while improving connectivity between ports and industrial production centres.

He said the Prime Minister’s Office has a dedicated Blue Economy Cell to improve coordination among institutions working in the sector and bring them together on a common platform.

The state minister stressed the need for cooperation among the government, academia and the private sector to develop the blue economy and build the skilled workforce required to support its growth.

“Universities have a crucial role to play in developing the skilled human resources needed to achieve this goal,” he said, thanking IUB and its Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies for drawing the government’s attention to the issues.

Javed Hosein, a member of the IUB Board of Trustees, attended the seminar as a special guest, while Vice Chancellor Prof M Tamim delivered the welcome address.

Javed pointed to inefficiencies in port operations and logistics, saying they are affecting Bangladesh’s competitiveness in international trade.

He said it takes around three to five days to unload a 21,000-tonne fuel oil tanker in Bangladesh, compared to four to five hours in Singapore.

Javed also said garment export products usually take about 95 days to reach their destinations after the fabric is made, compared to 60 days in Vietnam and 32 days in China, attributing the delay mainly to corruption.

Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, director of IUB’s Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies, delivered the keynote presentation on the 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 seminar was moderated by Marium Binte Hassan Farin, a student of Environmental Science and Management at IUB.