The Bangladesh Coast Guard (; abbreviated as BCG) is the maritime law enforcement agency of Bangladesh, responsible for safeguarding the country's territorial waters, exclusive economic zone, and coastal resources. Operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs and with operational control by Navy officials, the Coast Guard conducts maritime security, anti-smuggling operations, search and rescue, and environmental protection missions. Established in 1995, the Coast Guard works closely with the Bangladesh Navy and other national agencies to ensure the safety and security of the nation's waterways.
History The Bangladesh Navy had been performing the duties of a coast guard in addition to its own duties of maritime defence since 1994. As time passed, the growing responsibility and workload became inconvenient for the Bangladesh Navy, with the increasing volume of policing duties at sea taking away from its primary role. The emergence of the Bangladesh Coast Guard was the result of the growing awareness in the government of the requirement of a separate service to enforce national laws in the waters under national jurisdiction and ensure the safety of life and property at sea. Following this, the Coast Guard Act 1994 was passed by the Parliament of Bangladesh in September 1994. Formally, the Bangladesh Coast Guard in its present shape came into being on 14 February 1995 and started operational activities with two patrol craft received from the Bangladesh Navy. The force is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard motto is 'Guardian at Sea' ().
The Bangladesh Coast Guard is a force that carries out an array of civil and military responsibilities touching almost every facet of the Bangladesh maritime environment. The headquarters of the Bangladesh Coast Guard is in Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, and four zones (Dhaka, Chittagong, Mongla, and Bhola).
Role and mission
Over 90% of Bangladesh's exports and imports pass through two seaports at Chittagong and Mongla. Sea-lines communication to these two seaports are the lifelines of the Bangladeshi economy. UNCLOS 1982 has made provision for sovereign rights for exploration and exploitation of living and non-living resources in the Bangladesh exclusive economic zone. The fishery sector contributes an important part of national export earnings. A significant quantity of gas has been discovered at Sangu in the Bay of Bengal, the extraction of which has already started. Apart from these, a vast number of ships and craft of various types and sizes operate at sea for trade, commerce, fishing, research, exploration, and extraction of oil, gas, and minerals. To exercise effective control, to ensure safety and security, and protect national and international maritime interests at sea, all these diverse activities are brought under various national and international laws and acts.
Mission The coast guard's mission is to control piracy, illegal trafficking, and environmental pollution; protect the fishery, oil, gas, and forest resources in Bangladesh waters and coastal areas; ensure overall security and law and order through security assistance to seaports; and conduct relief and rescue operations in the coastal areas during natural calamities.
Role
Primary Preserve national interest at sea Fishery protection Prevent illegal immigration through the sea Pollution control Piracy control Prevent smuggling and trafficking of illegal arms, drugs, and narcotics Disaster relief operations Search and rescue operations Preservation of forest Surveillance over the sea areas of Bangladesh Carry out any other duty assigned by the government
Secondary Assist Bangladesh Navy during war
Area of jurisdiction The area of jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Coast Guard is the sea territory of Bangladesh as declared under the Territorial and Maritime Zone Act, 1974. The Bangladesh government, being a signatory, has ratified UNCLOS, 1982.
Areas of Jurisdiction in the Bay of Bengal are: Internal Waters Territorial Water Contiguous Zone Exclusive Economic Zone Continental Shelf
Apart from the sea territory of Bangladesh, the government has also placed the waterways of the mangrove forest of Sundarbans and major rivers up to Dhaka under the jurisdiction of the coast guard.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard has the following zonal commands: Dhaka, East, West, and South zones. +Stations, Outposts, Contingents & CampsBaseZoneStations, Outposts, Contingents & CampsBaseZoneStations, Outposts, Contingents & CampsBaseZoneStations, Outposts, Contingents & CampsBaseZoneTeknafIachanagar, Karnaphuli, ChattogramEastSharankholaDigraj, Mongla, BagerhatWestNizampurChar Kali, BholaSouthPaglaDhakaDhakaInaniSupatiPatharghataMawaSaint MartinsKoyraPatuakhaliChandpurHimchhariKapilmuniHatiaPadma Bridge Composit ProjectCox's BazarKachikhaliLakshmipurHaimcharMatarbariRupshaNidrasakinaGajariaKutubdiaDublaBarishalNayaniMaheshkhaliKoikhaliHijlaMohanpurSanguDobekiKaliganjPaturiaMirsaraiHarbariaAndarmanikMill BarrackBhatiariKagadobekiRamgatiUrir CharNalianTazumuddinShahporiChar ManikaSandwipRangabaliPatengaManpuraSarikaitBaharchharaBhashancharRaypurKamalnagar
Command and control Headquarters AppointmentRank and Name Director General Rear Admiral Md Moinul Hassan Deputy Director-General Commodore Md. Rashed Sattar, (N), NUP, psc, BN Director (Operations) Captain Mohammad Saiful Islam, (TAS), afwc, psc, BN Director (Intelligence) Captain Al Farooq Mahmud Hossain, (N), NUP, afwc, psc, BN Director (Personnel) Captain Al Farooq Mahmud Hossain, (N), NUP, afwc, psc, BN Director (Engineering) Captain Riyadh Ibne Jamal, (E), NGP, psc, BN Director (Logistics) Captain Mohammad Habibul Billah, (s), psc, BN Director (IT & Communications) Captain Mohammad Shahidul Haque, (H1), psc, BN Director (Planning & Acquisitions) Captain Md Sohel Azam, (G), NUP, ncc, psc, BN Judge Advocate General Commander Abu Sadik Mohammed Shafiq Uddin, (Edn), BCGMS, BN Chief Inspector and Quality Controller Commander Md Abu Bakar, (L), PCGMS, BN
Zonal commands AppointmentRank and Name Zonal Commander (Dhaka Zone) Commander M Mostafijur Rahman, (ND), BCGM, psc, BN Zonal Commander (East Zone) Captain Md Zahirul Haque, (C), BCGMS, psc, BN Zonal Commander (West Zone) Captain Mehedi Hasan, (C), nup, psc, BN Zonal Commander (South Zone) Captain Mohammed Shahin Mazid, (G), psc, BN
Training Base BCG Agrajatra AppointmentRank and Name Commandant Captain Shahjahan Seraj, (G), psc, BN
Rank structure Commissioned officers
Other ranks
Medals Bangladesh Coast Guard Padak (Bravery) President Coast Guard Padak (Bravery) Bangladesh Coast Guard Padak (Service) President Coast Guard Padak (Service)
Source:
List of directors general No Name Took office Left office1Commodore Shafiq-ur-Rahman, (N), ncc, psc, BN 14 February 1995 6 August 19982 Captain M A Motalib, (G), ndu, psc, BN 7 August 1998 28 April 19993 Commodore M Shahabuddin, (E), psc, BN 29 April 1999 29 January 20024 Commodore Shah Iqbal Mujtaba, (D), ndc, psc, BN 30 January 2002 29 May 20025 Captain S M H Kabir, ndu, psc, BN 30 May 2002 5 March 20056 Rear Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nijam, (C), ndu, psc, BN Birth: 2/11/1952 - Death: 10/10/2025 6 March 2005 8 February 20077 Commodore M A K Azad, (G), ndc, psc, BN 8 February 2007 5 January 20088 Commodore Moqsum Ul Kader (C) ndc, afwc, psc, BN 6 January 2008 25 January 20099 Rear Admiral Z U Ahmed, NBP, BCGM, ndc, psc, BN 26 January 2009 27 January 200910 Commodore Moqsum Ul Kader, (C), ndc, afwc, psc, BN 28 January 2009 23 March 200911 Commodore A. S. M. A. Abedin, ndc, psc, BN 23 March 2009 31 March 201112 Rear Admiral Kazi Sarwar Hossain, (TAS), (CD), ncc, psc, BN 1 April 2011 16 December 201313 Rear Admiral M Makbul Hossain, NBP, OSP, BCGMS, ndu, psc, BN 4 December 2013 15 February 201614 Rear Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury, (G), NBP, OSP, BCGM, PCGM, BCGMS, ndc, psc, BN 16 February 2016 26 January 201915 Rear Admiral M Ashraful Haq, (C), NUP, ndc, afwc, psc, BN 10 February 2019 24 August 202116 Rear Admiral Ashraful Hoq Chowdhury, (G), ndu, afwc, psc, BCGM, BN 24 August 2021 30 January 202417Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali, OSP, NPP30 January 202431 October 202418Rear Admiral Muhammad Ziaul Hoque, OSP31 October 202410 September 202619Rear Admiral Md Moinul Hassan NBP, BSP, BCGM, ndc, ncc, psc10 September 2026Present
Ships
TypeQuantityNoteOffshore patrol vessel4Inshore patrol vessel8Fast attack craft (gun)4Coastal patrol craft4Riverine patrol craft5Harbour patrol boat6High speed patrol boat136
Future modernization plan The Bangladesh Government has started a massive modernization plan named Coast Guard Goal 2030 to make Coast Guard a well-trained and well-equipped force to ensure the security of the coastal area. The expansion of the force manpower is also included in the plan.
Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited is constructing two inshore patrol vessels (IPV) for the Bangladesh Coast Guard. These vessels will be long, wide and have a draft of with a displacement of .
The coast guard ordered six X12 high-speed boats which are being built at Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited with technical assistance from Indonesia. These ships are made of carbon composite and have a length of and a speed of .
References
External links Bangladesh Coast Guard Website