Bangladesh Navy receives five modern patrol boats from Japan

Five modern high-speed patrol boats, provided with the assistance of the Japanese government to further enhance the capabilities of the Bangladesh Navy, have been officially handed over. These boats were handed over to the Bangladesh Navy on Thursday under Japan's Official Security Assistance (OSA) program.

These boats are expected to play an important role in the country's coastal security, patrolling in seaport areas, surveillance activities, search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster management. In addition, the Navy's activities to protect Bangladesh's maritime resources and sovereignty will be more dynamic.

Prime Minister's Defense Advisor Brigadier General (retd) Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam was present as the chief guest at the handover ceremony. Japan's Parliamentary Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Shimada Tomoaki was present as the special guest. The Japanese delegation, senior officials of the Bangladesh Navy and invited guests participated in the ceremony.

As part of the long-standing friendly relations and strategic cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan, a bilateral agreement was signed between the two countries in November 2023 to procure five high-speed patrol boats. Later, the project work was started through an exchange of notes. After the completion of the project work, the boats reached Chittagong Port on February 6, 2026.

Under the supervision of Japanese experts, Bangladesh Navy members have been trained in the operation and maintenance of these boats. This training program was completed on the Banouja Nirvik.

Each boat is 16.15 meters long, 3.53 meters wide and 1.78 meters deep. They have a displacement of 13.5 tons and are capable of traveling at a maximum speed of 32 knots. Being suitable for navigating in shallow waterways, they will be particularly effective in conducting rapid operations in rivers, estuaries, coastal areas and remote waterways.

According to the Navy, these newly added patrol boats will play an important role in responding quickly to emergencies, increasing security in coastal areas, rescue operations and disaster relief operations.

Experts believe that this assistance implemented under the OSA program will further strengthen defense cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan. At the same time, the areas of technical and security cooperation between the two countries will also expand.