Exploring Applicable Models and Tools to Analyze Accidents of Inland Water Transports of Bangladesh
Millions of people use Inland Water Transport (IWT) as a cheap mode of vehicle in Bangladesh. Due to various reasons it is found that the passenger vessels in river routes are not as safe as it should have been. Reflections are vivid to public through media reports regularly. Although accidents at inland water ways in Bangladesh are not as frequent as those happening on roads, but on many occasions, it has been found that losses of life and damage of property on waterways are quite high. Sometimes accidents on board passenger vessels cause immense damage to the environment as well which has a long-lasting effect on nature. Study reveals that the ways in which accident cases are investigated and analyzed, the root causes of accident cases are not revealed. The author feels that so far the issue has not been addressed well in Bangladesh using the right tool or model based on any theory. This paper gives a guideline towards framing a model which can be used to analyze accidents which operators of passenger vessels face on a regular basis in Bangladesh.
Read moreImpact of Climate Change on Safe Navigation in Inland Waterways: Bangladesh Perspective
Climate is often described in terms of long-term averages and other statistics of weather conditions, including the frequencies of extreme events. It is a long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth. Direct and indirect effects of climate change like sea level rise, change in rainfall pattern, extreme weather condition (most importantly stronger winds, higher waves, faster currents, floods and lean flows, shifting sand banks etc.), increase in temperature and siltation of river beds and river bank erosion. The inland water transport sector of Bangladesh is being affected by most of these climate change effects. The navigators (Masters and Pilots) of inland ships are playing a vital role in our economy by shipping passengers, goods and other raw materials from one place to another place. Their role is very important in maritime transportation and their knowledge about climate change impacts on navigation which should be adequate for performing good service to the economic activities of the country. Hence, the aim of this study is to collect information about the knowledge, skills, interests, attitudes, and abilities of navigators. In view of above, a questionnaire survey was conducted while ships are called at Sadarghat and Narayanganj port areas. The gathered information was grouped considering navigational risk due to climate change impacts on inland waterways. The findings of the study revealed that masters and pilots lack in sufficient knowledge about the adverse weather which is arising from the climate change and they require adequate and appropriate knowledge to navigate the ship in such environment as well. Study results have also demonstrated about Masters and Pilots skill level and shortage of theoretical and practical knowledge in ship handling and contingency planning during emergencies. Implementation of specialized training programmes will be useful to build the capacity of Inland Masters and Pilots, so as to mitigate the impacts of climate change on navigation in confined water.
Read moreThe Supply Chain of Sea Fish from Source to Consumer: Bangladesh Perspective
Supply chain is a burning issue in the new era of global business. Organizations always try to make the supply chain efficient to ensure maximum value to the final consumers. As a riverine country fishes play a vital role in the livelihood and food habit of Bangladesh. But no remarkable research work has been found on the supply chain of sea fishes of Bangladesh.This empirical research based on primary and secondary data depicts the supply chain of sea fishes of Bangladesh. Based on survey research techniques the researchers demonstrate the distribution channel of sea fishes from fishermen to final consumers. In Bangladesh, sea fishes are sold in more informal markets and its supply chains consist of a number or combination of mid-chain players who transform, package, and move product from the point of production to the final sales. But this existing supply chain is quite complex, lengthy and costly. This paper also highlights other underlying hindrances of the supply chain of sea fishes in Bangladesh. Besides, the authors proposed a new model which is free from the influence of intermediary and private parties. The new model incorporates and integrates an information technology based central distribution centre to make the supply chain more effective for all the related parties. But further research is required to find out the effectiveness and challenges of the proposed model.
Read moreThe Approaches of Teaching and Learning Maritime English: Some Factors to Consider
The objective of this paper is to find out the linguistic features of maritime English and to investigate the approaches that the teachers and learners can follow. The present study also investigates the needs of the maritime students in order to develop good syllabi and the approaches of teaching. The present study finds that the language abilities that the maritime students mostly need are reading, writing and spoken English. The paper represents how the learners should learn maritime terminologies, read texts and comprehension and write responses to emails or letters. It also explains how the teachers should teach the required skills to the maritime students, how they (teachers) can develop communicative competence among the students, and the other factors they should consider while designing the syllabi and course contents of maritime English.
Read moreIndia-Bangladesh Trade: The Prospect of Inland Water Transportation System
India, the third largest trading partner of Bangladesh, the most neighbor country having a transboundary waterway which connects some of the growth centres in India and almost all of the growth centres in Bangladesh. Despite having most of the advantages of modal choice covering least cost, environment friendly, congestion free and safe as well as institutional arrangement that is the Protocol on Inland Water Trade and Transport, the trade between Bangladesh and India through Inland Water Transport (IWT) is negligible. For decades the trade through IWT was mostly limited to one commodity which is fly ash, but few shipments of containers between these two countries this year is remarkable.This paper would institute with an overview of the trade pattern between Bangladesh and India, the transportation modal share, and an overview of the potential IWT system of Bangladesh and some parts of India that have a trans-boundary link. And then it would try to analyse the challenges that hinder the trade through IWT mostly the lack of infrastructure, investment, awareness, and longer lead time, lack of service providers, imbalance trade, inflexibility, water depth and institutional weaknesses. In parallel an examination of the development programmes that have been undertaken or in plan to upgrade the IWT in both the countries could create the opportunity for the entrepreneurs of both the countries to offer alternative transport logistic solution reducing the total cost of manufacturing.
Read moreTapping Potential of Global Demand for Seafaring Officers: An Agenda for Bangladesh
The growing shortage of seafaring officers fuelled by the rapid growth of global fleet opened up opportunities to tap the potential of global demand of seafaring officers for populous and unemployment abundance countries like Bangladesh. Besides, the numbers of HSC passed students, having potential of becoming seafaring officers, are also on the rise in Bangladesh every year. By producing more seafaring officers out of these youngsters and marketing them effectively for manning the commercial fleet around the globe, Bangladesh could have reaped benefits of earning huge remittance and thus ensured her socio-economic development. To examine the potential of the global demand for seafaring officers and to formulate agenda for Bangladesh, the researcher looked for the answers of the primary research question as to what is the current status of Bangladeshi Seafaring officers and how she can maximize the accruing from the global demand. The study also examined present manning situation and supply capability of seafaring officers in Bangladesh. Finally, the paper recommends courses of action for Bangladeshi seafaring stakeholders to tap the potential from the global demand for seafaring officers.
Read moreAlgorithm for Performance Appraisal using Cumulative Average Weighing Method
Performance appraisal is an HR process, which plays an important role to drive employees for achieving organizational goal. Simple Additive Weighing (SAW) method is popularly used as a tool to calculate individual performance score (PS). Reflective factors (opportunity factor and optimum contribution factor) are not accounted in this method. Consequently, the assessed PS found to be less representative and biased. In the proposed Cumulative Average Weighing (CAW) method, those factors have been taken into consideration to make PS more representative and unbiased. A case studied for 5 years on 3 employees of the same status. Overall Performance Index (OPI) and Aptitude Index (API) have been calculated using performance score (PS) obtained in both the methods by Computer Based Performance Appraisal System (CB-PAS) software, developed in Visual Basic (VB). The analysis, using statistical tools (SD, MAD and AD) reflects that the PS as calculated by CAW method is more representative than that of calculated by the SAW method. The rate of change of API as calculated from the aptitude score facilitates the organization to talent management. Besides, Graphical Model for Score Interpretation (GMSI) used as an alternative tool for screening out and selecting the best option using data obtained from the CB-PAS.
Read moreSustainable Shipping-Assurance of Safe Environment
Humans have always had a close relationship with the aquatic environment, including the early use of the sea for food harvesting and communication. Shipping is one of the least environmentally damaging forms of commercial transport. Where it competes directly with other means of transport, shipping remains by far the most energy efficient. But the environmental performance of shipping is not perfect. Shipping causes a wide range of effects on the marine environment. Most of the harmful emissions come from the daily release of various substances. Oil, chemical cargo residues, garbage and cleaning agents, anti-fouling paints, exhaust and other air emissions, and invasive species from ballast water have ongoing adverse effects on life in the world’s seas. Quality shipping or sustainable shipping can be seen as a response to the environmental challenges the shipping industry is facing. Sustainability and related concepts, such as ecosystem services, planetary boundaries, newest technologies and resilience thinking, Ocean governance with IMO POLAR CODE could be used as guidance in addressing these challenges.
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