Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday (June 21, 2023) commissioned five locally made state-of-the-art vessels of Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) that will further strengthen the maritime law enforcement force. The five vessels are two inshore patrol vessels named 'BCGS Apurba Bangla’ and 'BCGS Joy Bangla,' two tugboats named 'BCGT Pratyay' and 'BCGT Pramatta' and a floating crane named 'BCGFC Shakti.' Read: PM Hasina orders measures to contain inflation The premier commissioned the vessels at BCG Patenga Berth in Chattogram through a videoconferencing from her official residence Ganabhaban here in the capital. The two inshore patrol vessels were built by state-owned Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited in Narayanganj, while two tugboats and the floating crane were made by the Khulna Shipyard. The new vessels are equipped with ultramodern machinery, sensors and surveillance radar. The inshore patrol vessels have three automatic cannons, which will play a vital role in protecting ourselves and running operational activities. Read: PM Hasina for peaceful resolution of Ukraine crisis  The vessels have surveillance capacity of 96 nautical miles and the cannons' range is 4 kilometers and the ships are able to identify anything like other vessels, criminals or enemies within this range while the cannons will help the BCG conduct operational activities smoothly. With the commission of the vessels, the operational activities of the BCG is expected to accelerate along with increase in the capacity to prevent stealing at commercial ships at the outer anchor, control human and drug trafficking through sea, patrol along the blue economy borders and conduct rescue operations in case of natural calamity and maritime accidents. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Senior Secretary of Public Security Division Mustafizur Rahman spoke at the commissioning ceremony, while Director General of Bangladesh Coast Guard Rear Admiral Ashraful Hoq Chowdhury delivered the welcome speech. Read: PM to brief media on the outcome of her Switzerland visit on Wednesday 

Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) on Sunday rescued 44 fishermen from the Bay of Bengal after their fishing boats remained stranded at the rough sea for five days. BCG teams spotted the boats while conducting search and rescue operations off Mahipur sea estuary and the Sundarbans' Akram point, Lieutenant Commander Khandaker Munif Taki, media officer at BCG headquarters, said. They promptly responded to provide assistance to fishermen in distress. All the occupants of the boats were evacuated to safety. Read: Indian Coast Guard rescues 10 Bangladeshi fishermen from Bay On August 16, 21 fishermen boarded the fishing boat River Mate and set sail for the Bay from Lakshmipur's Ramgati upazila to bait and catch fish for their businesses. They got stranded after their boat's engine went out of order the next day amid rough seas and strong winds. Also, 23 fishermen from Chattagram's Banshkhali got onto FB Mayer Doa and remained stranded at sea for five days after their boat's engine stopped working.   "All the rescued fishermen will be sent back to their families soon," Khandaker Munif said.

Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) on Wednesday confiscated 6,050kg (6.05 metric tonnes) of shrimps injected with a harmful jelly-like substance to artificially increase their weight from the Khan Jahan Ali Bridge Toll Plaza, Khulna. It also detained two men – Md Abdur Rahman, 35, and Md Faruk Gazi, 20, according to Lieutenant Commander Labeeb Usama Ahmadullah, Coast Guard media officer. Later, representatives of Fish Inspection and Quality Control ( FIQC) Khulna fined Abdur Rahman, Faruk, and three organisations a cumulative Tk1.30 lakh, Labeeb said. Earlier, on information, a team of BCG Station Rupsha under Coast Guard West Zone carried out a raid in Khan Jahan Ali Bridge Toll Plaza under Rupsha Police Station at 7:55pm. During the drive, the law enforcers searched a Chattogram-bound truck that was being loaded with shrimps injected with the jelly-like substance. Later, representatives of FIQC Khulna fined Abdur Rahman and Faruk Tk30,000, Sabbir Transport Tk50,000, Jamuna Jafar Fish Tk25,000 and Monowara Jafar Fish Tk25,000 for their involvement in filling the shrimps with the jelly-like substance. The seized shrimps were later destroyed. Also read: 700 kgs of shrimp injected with jelly like substance seized in Chandpur

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard seized around 6.38 crore meters of illegal nets, 9,832 kgs of Hilsa and 115 boats from the coastal areas and  different rivers during the  22-day ban on Hilsa netting that ended Monday midnight.   The ban was imposed from October 4 to October 25 midnight  as part of 'Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign-2021' to ensure safe spawning of the popular fish during its  peak breeding period.   Lt. Khandaker Munif Taki, media officer at the Bangladesh Coast Guard headquarters on Tuesday said  a total of 3,049 drives were conducted during the period and 256 fishermen detained for catching Hilsa illegally. Read: Kitchen markets in Dhaka take the heat from 22-day Hilsa ban He said that the seized nets were burnt in the presence of local administration, members of law enforcement agencies and fisheries officials and the seized Hilsa were distributed among local orphanages and the poor.  Besides, the detained fishermen were sentenced to different jail terms and fined through mobile courts.  Hilsa has the highest contribution to the country's fish production, which contributes to more than 12.09% of the country's fish production.  The production of the fish has gone up by 159.76% in the last 15 years. Read: 22-day ban on Hilsa fishing begins Sunday midnight The government also imposes ban on catching hilsa during March-April to help the Hilsa fry grow and return to  sea.  Hilisa production jumped from 300,000 tons in 2008-09 to 500,000 tons in 2017-18. In the last financial year, 550,000 tons of Hilsa were caught in the country, according to the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry. 

Bangladesh Coast Guard seized 30,000 yaba pills and arrested five alleged drug traffickers from the River Naf in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf on Monday.

Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) will be equipped with sophisticated patrol vessels, hovercrafts and other modern vessels to make the force stronger, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the Bangladesh Coast Guard will be strengthened so that they can play a role in helping the government tap the potential of the ‘Blue Economy’.  

Bangladesh Coast Guard on Wednesday recovered 16,800 pieces of yaba pills from a pickup van in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf. 

A floating hospital, jointly set up by Bidyanondo Foundation and Bangladesh Coast Guard, started its journey by providing treatment to underprivileged people of Banishanta Polli in Dacope upazila of Khulna on Tuesday.

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard on Wednesday rescued 11 sailors from a sinking ship in the Bay of Bengal near Hatiya coast of Noakhali after they called for help on emergency number 999.