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 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

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.