Bangladesh Shipping Corporation

What Bangladesh Shipping Corporation does

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) is the state-owned national flag carrier of Bangladesh, established on 5 February 1972 by Presidential Order and operating under the Ministry of Shipping. Headquartered in Chittagong, the corporation provides maritime shipping services covering approximately 90% of Bangladesh's sea-borne trade, transporting crude oil, fertilizers, food grains, and general cargo via a fleet of 6 mixed oil/chemical tankers and bulk carriers. Core services include liner, chartering and tramping, feeder, crude oil carrying and lightening, food grain carrying and lightening, port agency, and ship repair through the BSC Marine Workshop. The fleet operates under ISM and ISPS code compliance with German Lloyd classification and is monitored via the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) satellite system.

The company's revenue model is built on transaction-fee-based freight and charter contracts plus professional services for agency and ship repair, with all major revenue derived through formal tendering processes. The primary customer base consists of three flagship government counterparties — Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) — which tender for crude oil, fertilizer, and urea transportation respectively. BSC also serves private-sector importers/exporters and operates lightering services for vessels unable to access shallow Bangladesh ports. While listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange under ticker BSC, the Government of Bangladesh remains the controlling shareholder.

The corporation employs approximately 137 people and is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors chaired by the Minister of Shipping. Following a sharp profitability inflection in FY 2021-22 (net profit of BDT 225.81 crore versus BDT 72.03 crore the prior year) and a 20% cash dividend declaration, BSC has embarked on a major fleet renewal program funded by USD 241.92 million in Chinese government assistance to acquire four new vessels — two 100,000 DWT crude oil tankers and two 80,000 DWT bulk carriers, with the two bulk carriers 'Banglar Progati' and 'Banglar Nobojatra' already delivered in 2026. The company maintains regional offices in Dhaka, Khulna, Singapore, and London to support international coordination.

Name

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation

Legal name

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation

Website

https://bsc.portal.gov.bd

Company type

Public

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation is the state-owned national flag carrier operating 6 vessels that transport crude oil, fertilizers, and food grains for Bangladesh government counterparties, with a USD 242 million Chinese-funded fleet renewal underway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Shipping Services

NAICS

Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Dry Cargo Carriers (Capesize/Panamax/Supramax/Handysize) (TLADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mainline Container Liner Carriers (TLADABAA), FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)

Keywords

• Ocean freight services
• Maritime shipping
• Vessel chartering
• Crude oil transport
• Ship management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chittagong

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Freight Transportation Services: BSC operates cargo ships for transporting goods including crude oil, food grains, fertilizers, and general cargo. Revenue is generated through freight charges based on distance, cargo volume, and shipment frequency.
2. Chartering Services: Chartering and tramping services for vessel hire, including time charter and voyage charter arrangements for transporting various commodities internationally.
3. Agency Services: Shipping agency services including port handling, documentation, and coordination for vessels and cargo operations.
4. Ship Repair Services: Marine workshop services for ship maintenance and repair operations at BSC's own facility.
5. Feeder and Liner Services: Container and cargo transportation services along regular shipping routes for import and export goods.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation operates a mixed fleet of 6 vessels comprising bulk carriers and oil/chemical tankers, providing ocean freight transportation services including liner services, chartering and tramping, feeder services, crude oil and food grain transportation, ship-to-ship lightening operations, port agency services, and vessel repair through its Chittagong Marine Workshop. The corporation serves as Bangladesh's national flag carrier under the Ministry of Shipping, transporting essential imports and exports for government corporations and private sector customers.

Product overview

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) operates a mixed fleet of 06 vessels comprising oil and chemical tankers and bulk carriers. The corporation provides a comprehensive suite of maritime services including scheduled liner services, flexible chartering and tramp shipping, feeder services, crude oil transportation and lightening operations, food grain carriage and lightening, port agency services, and ship repair through its marine workshop. The fleet operates under ISM and ISPS code compliance, with vessels tracked via Vesselfinder for real-time monitoring. BSC serves as a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Shipping, facilitating Bangladesh's import and export trade which is approximately 90% maritime-dependent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liner Service Scheduled shipping service operating on fixed routes with regular port calls for container and cargo transportation between established ports.
• Chartering and Tramping Service Vessel chartering (time and voyage charter) and flexible tramp shipping for transporting various commodities based on demand and available cargo opportunities.
• Feeder Service Short-sea shipping service connecting regional ports to facilitate cargo distribution and collection at transshipment hubs.
• Crude Oil Carrying Transportation of crude oil via specialized oil tankers for import and export, including transport from international terminals (e.g., Murban crude from UAE) to Bangladesh ports.
• Crude Oil Lightening Ship-to-ship transfer operations for crude oil cargo at offshore locations for vessels unable to enter shallow ports.
• Food Grain Carrying Bulk transportation of food grains including wheat, rice, and other cereals via dedicated bulk carriers for import and export.
• Food Grain Lightening Ship-to-ship cargo transfer operations for food grains at anchorage areas to enable cargo discharge where ports cannot accommodate large vessels.
• Agency Service Port agency services for vessels including vessel clearance, documentation, cargo coordination, and liaison with port authorities.
• Ship Repair Maintenance and repair services for vessels through the BSC Marine Workshop facility at Chittagong, handling ship husbandry and technical upkeep.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 90% of Bangladesh's import and export goods transported via sea routes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• German LloydcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational classification society providing vessel certification and classification services. German Lloyd certification ensures vessels meet international safety and quality standards.
• Chittagong Port Authority (CPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort authority managing the main seaport of Bangladesh where BSC vessels dock and conduct cargo operations.
• Department of Shipping (DOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory body under Ministry of Shipping responsible for maritime administration, vessel registration, and maritime safety oversight.
• Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor customer for crude oil transportation services. BPC regularly tenders for freight transportation of Murban crude oil from UAE terminals to Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor customer for fertilizer transportation. BADC tenders for transportation of TSP and DAP fertilizers from various international ports.
• Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustomer for urea transportation from KSA and UAE. BCIC tenders for bulk granular urea transportation to various destinations in Bangladesh.
• IMO (International Maritime Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN agency regulating international shipping. BSC vessels comply with IMO conventions including SOLAS, MARPOL, and ISM Code requirements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC): Global container shipping leader with liner and feeder networks serving Bangladesh's main trade lanes. Relevant as a broad incumbent competitor in the same ocean freight and feeder service categories BSC operates in.
• Maersk: World's largest container liner with global network density and liner/feeder services that overlap with BSC's liner business. Operates at vastly greater scale and represents the competitive benchmark BSC faces in containerized trade.
• Great Eastern Shipping Company: India's largest private-sector shipping company operating a large tanker and dry bulk fleet. Comparable in fleet composition and commodity focus, though much larger in scale and privately listed rather than state-owned.
• K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha): Japanese global shipping major with significant tanker and bulk carrier capacity operating on Bangladesh-relevant Asia-Middle East lanes. Relevant as a broad incumbent in crude oil tanker and bulk services.

Direct peers

• Shipping Corporation of India: Indian state-owned national flag carrier operating a mixed fleet of tankers and bulk carriers, serving India's strategic energy and commodity imports. Highly comparable in mandate, customer mix (government oil/food corporations), and mixed-fleet operating model to BSC.
• Tolani Shipping: Indian bulk carrier operator focused on dry bulk and breakbulk cargo across South Asian and global routes. Comparable in dry bulk commodity focus and smaller-fleet operating model serving regional trade.
• Mercator Limited: Indian shipping company with historical presence in bulk carriers and tankers serving South Asian commodity trade. Comparable in fleet type and regional commodity focus, though historically more diversified into offshore.
• Pakistan National Shipping Corporation: Pakistani state-owned shipping line with a comparable small national-flag mandate, government-controlled governance, and mixed tanker/bulk carrier fleet serving strategic imports (crude oil, grains). Closest structural analog to BSC in the South Asian region.
• Ceylon Shipping Corporation: Sri Lankan state-owned shipping line providing similar liner and charter services for national strategic imports. Comparable as a small South Asian national-flag carrier serving a sea-dependent economy.

Others

• Bangladesh-based private freight forwarders: Local freight forwarding and logistics firms (e.g., Pasha Group, EHL, Continental Forwarders) that compete with BSC's agency and feeder service arms for private-sector cargo. They are not shipping carriers but compete for the same import/export freight workflow.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bscportal

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bangladesh Shipping Corporation