The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) "DORIA" was officially commissioned by the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at Mombasa Port, Kenya on November 19, 2018 after one year of delivery from Bangladesh.
OPV DORIA was built by the Western Marine Shipyard Ltd in Chattogram and exported to Kenya on 13 August 2017. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was chief guest on the occasion of delivery to its owner in the country.
It was known to be the most high-tech seagoing vessel built by a Bangladeshi shipyard so far, a statement of the WMS said.
WMShL also received "Award of Best Large Patrol Boat Builder 2017" by Baird Maritime, Australia for building Doria.
Doria is a 54 meter long OPV equipped with modern equipment and hybrid propulsion system which enables the vessel to achieve maximum speed of 35 knots (65 kilo meter an hour). This is the first time an OPV of such high speed and standard has been exported from Bangladesh.
The project cost was approximately $18 million. Built under class Bureau Veritas, the OPV will be used to safeguard national fisheries stock and the Blue Economy of the Kenyan maritime territory.
Kenya President Kenyatta said in a statement that Doria will be used by the Kenya Coast Guard Service to patrol their territorial waters as they have stepped up their efforts in protecting, and effectively harnessing their maritime resources.
The Kenyan Coast Guard will ensure that their ocean will no longer be used for drug and human trafficking, illegal arms and illegal fishing. "It will guard against exploitation of the natural resources by foreign countries and ensure that never again will a foreign vessel steal our fish."
WMS managing director Sakhawat Hossain said adequate numbers of OPV are required to protect blue economy border of Bangladesh and the Western Marine is fully capable to build them.
Chairman of the WMS Md Saiful Islam sought support of the government to the ship building industry.
