STANDING beside the sometimes angry Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is traditionally a maritime country. Extending from the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal forms the country?s southern bank. Moreover, Bangladesh is a riverine country; criss-crossed by over 3,500 rivers, streams and canals to a total length of 24,000 km covering nearly 7% of the country?s land surface, writes James Brewer.

SHIPBUILDING companies with long experience of building smaller inland vessels are coming up with initiatives involving setting up yards for building larger oceangoing vessels in Bangladesh, along the lines of what has happened in other southeast Asian countries.