Bangladesh’s container ship operator HR Lines Limited, a subsidiary of shipowner, Karnaphuli Group, will expand its connectivity with regional transhipment hubs with the procurement of up to six boxships with a capacity of around 1,550TEU in the coming months.
Karnaphuli’s acquisition of more ships will add to its fleet in 2022 to expand services between Chattagram and the region’s transhipment hubs. Currently, HR Lines’ two container vessels, Sahare and Sarera, with a capacity of 1,550TEU each, are deployed on the Chattogram–Singapore-Port Klang-Chattogram route since June last year.
“Four of the [latest] vessels are expected to join the fleet within the next five months. At least two ships, MV Hr Hera and MV Hr Rhea, of 1,454TEU each, will be deployed on our Chattogram-Colombo Express (CCE) Service from the first week of April this year,” said Hamdan Hossain Chowdhury, director, HR Lines. These two ships will operate a fixed day, weekly service, Hamdan told Container News.
“Two more ships each with a capacity of 1,550TEU will be added to our fleet in August 2021 and these will also be deployed on the CCE trade, upgrading it to a twice weekly service,” Hamdan added.
All vessels operated by HR Lines are owned by the parent Karnaphuli Group and are registered under the Bangladesh Flag. HR Lines, as a Bangladesh company as well as a Bangladesh flag vessel operator, commenced its operations from the middle of 2020.
Hamdan said the container line has finalised its agency appointments in Colombo. Clarion Shipping Private Limited, a company of Hayleys PLC group, will be acting as its cargo booking agents and Eastern Maritime Limited will be its husbanding agents.
“With the launching of CCE, we expect to move 240,000TEU between Bangladesh and our three major transhipment hubs of Singapore, Port Klang and Colombo in 2021, our first full year of operation,” said Raimah Chowdhury, MD at HR Lines.
Source: Container News
