[নোঙর 2016] Message From the President

MESSAGE
Rafiqul Quader (11), President, Bangladesh Marine Community, Singapore.

It is my great privilege and honour to pen my thoughts for the magazine of Bangladesh Marine Community, Singapore.

Shipping is going through a long drawn recession. The face of shipping has changed from my Bangladesh Shipping Corporation days. Owners, Managers, Chartering groups were under one umbrella. Today, different interest groups are segregated and with loan defaults by Owners, Bankers have also joined in running ships.  Environmental regulations, mergers and acquisitions for surviving in shipping sectors and the recent face of “terrorism” made great impact in the design, operation and running of ships including employment of sea- farers.

As I write, we now have our brothers suffering jail term in Nigeria for reasons beyond their control and possibly comprehension. Cadets coming out from the Marine Academy and other institutions are job less. Some may have done a contct or two and have been waiting for the next call.

Amidst, all the doom and gloom the marine community of Bangladesh origin have spread far and wide.  We are now under a global platform and have achieved great synergy with “home- based” interest groups.

The combined effort and individual contributions have helped in securing some jobs for cadets. Providing fellow mariners with medical expenses help, supporting education of children when sole bread winner of the family has passed away. The local and global effort for the release of our brothers serving jail term in Nigeria is also note-worthy.

Our community in Singapore has its own concerns and expectations. We have to structure and develop it as a body for professional development apart from the social interaction. Moreover, we have to focus on the welfare of the members and more importantly to contribute to the Singapore Maritime Hub.

Finally, I would like to end this note with reminiscence of my cadet days in the Academy when I watched the “sampans” moving upstream and down- stream effortlessly using the sail, the tide and the wind. The present situation is challenging but let us learn from the “boatman” the tide, the sea and the wind can always be harnessed to one’s own favour.

My special thanks to the contributors, the organising committee and our sponsors who donated generously for the publication of the magazine.

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Rafiqul Quader (11) presently works for ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd as a Strategic Account Manager in Marine Lubricant Business. He did an off-site MBA from the University of Hull (UK). He is a member of IMAREST. Enjoys reading with special interest in politics and history.