Bangladesh BUILT WARSHIP: Submarine Hunter BNS Durgam ASW Offshore Patrol Vessel Commissioned Into Bangladesh Navy

Bangladesh commissioned first home-made ASW warship BNS Durgam into active service.

BNS Durgam is a Durjoy-class semi-stealth Anti-Submarine Warfare large patrol craft (LPC) of Bangladesh Navy built by the Khulna Shipyard Limited. A shipbuilder from China provided technical assistances to make the ship. This is the first Bangladesh made ASW warship. Two ship in the class has been commissioned by the Honorable President of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Advocate Abdul Hamid yesterday. 

BNS Durgam ship design is the downsized version of the Chinese PLAN Type 056 stealth corvette. First two ships of this class was built china for Bangladesh Navy. Then china transfer the technology to Khulna Shipyard Limited. Here two dedicated ASW version BNS Durgam and BNS Nishan has been built and four more ships are expected to be built in the next two years. 

Bangladesh Navy set a goal to build most of the naval ships in home. As per that plan already some small patrol boats, tug boats, submarine tugs, landing craft utilities and tankers has been built in several shipyards. Chittagong Dry Dock Limited (CDDL) has been tasked to build large displacement guided missile frigates for the BN. 

Bangladesh Navy embarked on an ambitious modernization process consists of advanced large surface combatants, modern attack submarines and various types of aerial asstes. Already two Chinese Ming-class attack submarines are in service with the Bangladesh Navy. Two more, maybe Song-class, advanced attack submarine will join the fleet within 2 years. Bangladesh Navy targets to build most of the in three shipyards they own. Small and medium crafts, utility vessels will be built in the Dockyard & Engineering Limited Narayanganj, Khulna Shipyard Limited currently building Durjoy-class offshore patrol vessels and envisioned to build large naval ships and finally Chittagong Dry Dock Limited (CDDL) is tasked with to build heavy guided missile frigates for the BN. 

These “home-building” initiatives saving money and contributing to the national economy surely. Hence these projects bear greater national roles not only to protect country’s maritime boundary but also improving the economy by creating new jobs. In the coming years, after fulfilling BN’s requirements, Bangladesh would be able to export naval ships in the friendly nations which will bring essential export earnings too.