4 warships including Somoudra Joy commissioned

Four warships, including the US-donated ‘Somoudra Joy’ were commissioned by Bangladesh Navy on Monday, adding more teeth to the force’s prowess.

Commissioning the new ships at Chittagong Naval Berth, President Abdul Hamid said the government has taken “short and long” term strategies to upgrade the naval force.

“The implementation (strategies) will be completed by 2030,” the supreme commander of armed forces said.

Somudra Joy is the largest ship of Bangladesh navy. It was formally the ‘Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis’ that the US handed over to Bangladesh under the Excess Defense Articles programme.

It has been named ‘Somudra Joy’ commemorating Bangladesh’s maritime victory over Myanmar. Before it, the largest ship in Bangladesh’s navy fleet was BNS Bangabandhu.

The other three – BNS Aparajeya, BNS Adomya and Atondra –commissioned on Monday were built at the Khulna Shipyard.

The President said efforts were underway to develop Bangladesh navy as a “three-dimensional” force.

In this regard, he said two modern Corbett were being built in China. “It will be with the navy in 2015”.

Besides, he said, Chinese missile frigates would join the force by Jan.

Naval Chief Vice-Admiral M Farid Habib, LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam, chiefs of other armed forces division and diplomats of different countries were present during the ceremony.

Earlier in March 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina commissioned two home-made war ships –Padma and Jamuna.