Bangladesh Coast Guard

The Bangladesh Coast Guard is the maritime law enforcement agency of Bangladesh, responsible for safeguarding the country’s territorial waters, exclusive economic zone, and coastal resources. Operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs and with operational control by Navy officials, the Coast Guard conducts maritime security, anti-smuggling operations, search and rescue, and environmental protection missions. Established in 1995, the Coast Guard works closely with the Bangladesh Navy and other national agencies to ensure the safety and security of the nation’s waterways.

WWW coastguard.gov.bd

History

The Bangladesh Navy had been performing the duties of a coast guard in addition to its own duties of maritime defence since 1994. As time passed, the growing responsibility and workload became inconvenient for the Bangladesh Navy, with the increasing volume of policing duties at sea taking away from its primary role. The emergence of the Bangladesh Coast Guard was the result of the growing awareness in the government for the requirement of a separate service to enforce national laws in the waters under national jurisdiction and ensure safety of life and property at sea. Following this the Coast Guard Act 1994 was passed by the Parliament of Bangladesh in September 1994.
Formally, the Bangladesh Coast Guard in its present shape came into being on 14 February 1995 and started operational activities with two patrol craft received from the Bangladesh Navy. The force is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard motto is 'Guardian at Sea'.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard is a unique force that carries out an array of civil and military responsibilities touching almost every facet of the Bangladesh maritime environment. The headquarters of the Bangladesh Coast Guard is in Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207 and four zones.

Role and mission

Over 90% of Bangladesh's exports and imports pass through two seaports at Chittagong and Mongla. Sea-lines communication to these two seaports are the lifelines of the Bangladeshi economy. UNCLOS 1982 has made provision for sovereign rights for exploration and exploitation of living and non-living resources in the Bangladesh exclusive economic zone. The fishery sector contributes an important part of national export earnings. A significant quantity of gas has been discovered at Sangu in the Bay of Bengal, the extraction of which has already started. Apart from these, a vast number of ships and craft of various types and sizes operate at sea for trade, commerce, fishing, research, exploration and extraction of oil, gas and minerals and so on. To exercise effective control, to ensure safety and security and protect national and international maritime interest at sea, all these diverse activities are brought under various national and international laws and acts.

Mission

The coast guard's mission is to control piracy, illegal trafficking, protect the fishery, oil, gas, forest resources and environmental pollution in Bangladesh waters and coastal areas, ensure overall security and law and order through security assistance to seaports, conduct relief and rescue operation in the coastal areas during natural calamity.

Role

Primary

Preserve national interest at sea
Fishery protection
Prevent illegal immigration through the sea
Pollution control
Piracy control
Prevent smuggling, trafficking of illegal arms, drugs and narcotics
Disaster relief operations
Search and rescue operations
Preservation of forest
Surveillance over the sea areas of Bangladesh
Carry out any other duty assigned by the government

Secondary

Assist Bangladesh Navy during war

Area of jurisdiction

The area of jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Coast Guard is the sea territory of Bangladesh as declared under the Territorial and Maritime Zone Act, 1974. The Bangladesh Government being a signatory has ratified UNCLOS, 1982.
Areas of Jurisdiction in the Bay of Bengal are:

Apart from the sea territory of Bangladesh, the government has also placed the waterways of the mangrove forest of Sundarbans and major rivers up to Dhaka under the jurisdiction of the coast guard.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard has the following zonal command: Dhaka, East, West and South zones.

Stations, Outposts, Contingents & Camps	Base	Zone	Stations, Outposts, Contingents & Camps	Base	Zone	Stations, Outposts, Contingents & Camps	Base	Zone	Stations, Outposts, Contingents & Camps	Base	Zone
Teknaf	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Sharankhola	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Nizampur	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Pagla	Dhaka	Dhaka
Inani	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Supati	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Patharghata	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Mawa	Dhaka	Dhaka
Saint Martins	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Koyra	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Patuakhali	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Chandpur	Dhaka	Dhaka
Himchhari	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Kapilmuni	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Hatia	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Padma Bridge Composit Project	Dhaka	Dhaka
Cox's Bazar	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Kachikhali	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Lakshmipur	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Haimchar	Dhaka	Dhaka
Matarbari	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Rupsha	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Nidrasakina	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Gajaria	Dhaka	Dhaka
Kutubdia	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Dubla	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Barishal	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Nayani	Dhaka	Dhaka
Maheshkhali	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Koikhali	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Hijla	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Mohanpur	Dhaka	Dhaka
Sangu	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Dobeki	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Kaliganj	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Paturia	Dhaka	Dhaka
Mirsarai	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Harbaria	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Andarmanik	Char Kali, Bhola	South	Mill Barrack	Dhaka	Dhaka
Bhatiari	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Kagadobeki	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Ramgati	Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Urir Char	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East	Nalian	Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Tazumuddin	Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Shahpori	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Char Manika	Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Sandwip	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Rangabali	Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Patenga	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West	Manpura	Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Sarikait	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West		Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Baharchhara	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West		Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Bhashanchar	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West		Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Raypur	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West		Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka
Kamalnagar	Iachanagar, Karnaphuli, Chattogram	East		Digraj, Mongla, Bagerhat	West		Char Kali, Bhola	South		Dhaka	Dhaka

Command and control

Rank structure

;Commissioned officers
;Other ranks

Medals

Bangladesh Coast Guard Padak
President Coast Guard Padak
Bangladesh Coast Guard Padak
President Coast Guard Padak

Source:

Ships

Type	Quantity	Note
Offshore patrol vessel	4
Inshore patrol vessel	8
Fast attack craft	4
Coastal patrol craft	4
Riverine patrol craft	5
Harbour patrol boat	6
High speed patrol boat	136

Future Modernization Plan

The Bangladesh Government has started a massive modernization plan named Coast Guard Goal 2030 to make Coast Guard a well-trained and well-equipped force to ensure the security of the coastal area. The expansion of the force manpower is also included in the plan.
Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited is constructing two inshore patrol vessels for the Bangladesh Coast Guard. These vessels will be long, wide and have a draft of with a displacement of.
The coast guard ordered six X12 high-speed boats which are being built at Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited with technical assistance from Indonesia. These ships are made of carbon composite and have a length of and a speed of.
The formation of the coast guard's aviation wing is under process. The force has a plan to procure ten helicopters for patrolling and search and rescue operations within 2025.
The coast guard also wants to be a technologically advanced outfit in monitoring the sea. It has a long-term plan of installing long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) and vessel traffic management information systems by 2025.