Bangladesh Coast Guard

Bangladesh Coast Guard
বাংলাদেশ কোস্ট গার্ড বাংলাদেশ উপকূল রক্ষক
Bangladesh Coast Guard Crest
Active	1995 – present
Country	Bangladesh
Allegiance	Constitution of the People's republic of Bangladesh
Branch	Coast Guard
Type	Coast Guard
Size	3,339 personnel, 63 Ships
Coast Guard Directorate General	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nickname(s)	BCG
Motto(s)	"Guardian at Sea" সমুদ্রের অভিভাবক
Colors	Gold, Blue
Anniversaries	12 December
Commanders
DG Bangladesh Coast Guard	Rear Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury NBP, OSP, BCGM, ndc, psc
Insignia
Bangladesh Coast Guard Ensign

The Bangladesh Coast Guard (Bengali transliteration: বাংলাদেশ কোস্ট গার্ড; translated from English: বাংলাদেশ উপকূল রক্ষক); BCG is the maritime law enforcement force of Bangladesh. It is a paramilitary force which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Its officers are transferred from the Bangladesh Navy. The Bangladesh Coast Guard also performs the duty of maritime border security of Bangladesh. The headquarters is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Currently the coast guard has 3,339 personnel and 63 ships. A huge modernization plan named Coast Guard Goal 2030 has been undertaken to enhance its capabilities.

The Bangladesh Navy had been performing the duties of a Coast Guard in addition to own duties of maritime defence since the independence of Bangladesh. 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 for the requirement of a separate service to enforce national laws in the waters under national jurisdiction and ensure safety of life and property at sea. Following this the Coast Guard Act 1994 was passed by the Parliament 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 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 unique force that carries out an array of civil and military responsibilities touching almost every facet of the Bangladesh maritime environment. The force now has a zone, three bases, 18 stations, 10 outpost, 57 different categories of water vessels and eight pontoons along with 3,339 manpower.

Over 90% of Bangladesh exports and imports pass through two sea ports at Chittagong and Mongla. Sea-lines communication to these two sea ports are the life lines of the Bangladesh economy. UNCLOS 1982 has made provision for sovereign rights for exploration and exploitation of living and non living resources in the Bangladesh EEZ. The fishery sector contributes an important part of national export earning. 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 and so on. To exercise effective control, to ensure safety and security and protect national and international maritime interest at sea, all these diverse activities are brought under various national and international laws and acts.