Japan to provide 2.7 bn Yen for coastal rescue boat procurement

FT ONLINE

Japan will provide around 2.7 billion Japanese Yen under its grant aid cooperation for procuring coastal rescue boats to strengthen maritime rescue and disaster relief capabilities in coastal and inland water areas of Bangladesh, UNB reports.

A signing ceremony of the ‘Project for Improvement of Rescue Capacities in the Coastal and Inland Waters’ was held at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of Finance Ministry on August 26, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Hiroyasu Izumi and ERD Secretary Kazi Shofiqul Azam signed the Exchange of Notes representing their respective governments.

Marine resources and Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs) are becoming increasingly important for the national economy in situations where land resources are rapidly depleting.

Besides, it said, inland waters transportation has been developed using large and small rivers flowing through Bangladesh, and fisheries on maritime areas, and inland water areas are also active.

Large-scale natural disasters and ship accidents have occurred in such domestic inland water areas and coastal area in Bangladesh, and many people have been injured.

It is expected that the boats will contribute to the effective disaster response activities and reduce the sufferings of the marginalised people living in disaster-prone areas of the country and profoundly contribute to socioeconomic advancement of Bangladesh, the Embassy added.