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Seafarer Index
Bangladesh flag

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

ISO BGD / BD

Regulatory

MLC 2006
ratified (2014-10-06)
Paris MoU rating
not-listed
Tokyo MoU rating
white
USCG Qualship 21
not listed
ITF FoC
not listed

Registry

Vessel count
400
Deadweight
3
Administration
Department of Shipping, Bangladesh
File a complaint
Official form

Significant seafarer supply nation; major ship recycling industry in Chittagong

Compliance history

Country context

Population
175,686,899 (2025)
GDP per capita
$2,597 (2025)
Income group
Lower middle income
Region
South Asia

Source: World Bank Open Data.

What this means for seafarers

  • MLC 2006: This flag has ratified MLC 2006. Vessels must hold a valid Maritime Labour Certificate + DMLC Part II posted onboard. You can file an MLC complaint via the flag administration.
  • Port-state-control profile: high-performing flag — fewer detentions on average. Read about PSC regimes →
  • STCW: Party to STCW. Verify a CoC issued under this flag at the flag's verification portal.

See also: flag risk explained · MLC ratification list · white/grey/black lists.

Notable historic incidents under this flag

  • MV Abdullah (2024, Somali Basin)
    The Bangladesh-flagged Handysize bulk carrier Abdullah (KSRM Group, Chittagong) was hijacked by Somali pirates approximately 550 nautical miles east of Mogadishu on 12 March 2024. …

See also the full maritime-disasters archive.

Reference

  • III Code — the IMO flag-state audit scheme measuring implementation of IMO instruments.
  • Port state control — how Bangladesh-flagged ships are inspected + detained in foreign ports.
  • Minimum safe manning — the SOLAS V/14 basis for Bangladesh's manning documents.
  • Marine cyber incidents — case studies + the IACS UR E26/E27 cyber-resilience regime.

Verification & complaint routes

No vessels indexed under Bangladesh yet. Try MarineTraffic vessels under BGD.

Ports in Bangladesh

All ports in Bangladesh →

Bangladesh flag: FAQ

Is the Bangladesh flag safe for seafarers?
The Bangladesh flag has a mixed PSC record — some inspection regimes class it favourably, others less so. It has ratified MLC 2006, which is the principal worker-protection convention. Operator and class are usually a stronger signal than flag alone.
Has Bangladesh ratified the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006)?
Yes — Bangladesh has ratified MLC 2006 (ratified 2014). Seafarers serving on Bangladesh-flagged vessels are entitled to make MLC complaints through the flag administration, port state, or seafarer welfare organisations such as the ITF.
How do I file a complaint against a Bangladesh-flagged vessel or operator?
Complaints can be lodged with the Department of Shipping, Bangladesh via their official complaint procedure. Under MLC 2006, complaints may also be lodged with the port-state authority of any MLC-ratified port. The ITF and seafarer welfare organisations (Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris, Sailors' Society) can advocate on your behalf. Keep contract, wage records, and seaman's book ready.
What port-state-control rating does Bangladesh have?
Paris MoU rating: not-listed. Tokyo MoU rating: white. PSC ratings classify flags by inspection and detention history. White / low-risk flags face fewer PSC inspections; black / high-risk flags face more frequent inspection and a higher detention rate.
Is Bangladesh on the ITF Flag of Convenience (FoC) list?
No — Bangladesh is not currently on the ITF Flag of Convenience list. Seafarers retain general ITF-channel access for advocacy and abandonment response regardless of FoC status.

Compare Bangladesh with another flag

Put two or three flags side-by-side on the comparison tool.

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High confidence

Editorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.

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