Admiralty & Maritime Lawyers in Bangaldesh | Maritime Legal Services

What sets Kazi Law Chamber apart in this practice area is a litigation record built on genuinely difficult cases. Our maritime experience includes acting for shipowners in disputes involving wrongful re-arrest across multiple jurisdictions, successfully arresting vessels to secure client claims arising from failed ship sale transactions, and handling admiralty proceedings that involve overlapping questions of international convention law, competing contractual claims, and urgent asset preservation. These are not routine matters, and they are handled by lawyers who understand both the procedural mechanics of the Admiralty Court and the commercial stakes that drive maritime disputes.

The Admiralty Court and Bangladesh's Maritime Jurisdiction

The High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh exercises exclusive admiralty jurisdiction as the court of first instance for all maritime disputes. This jurisdiction is governed primarily by the Admiralty Court Act 2000, with supplementary provisions drawn from the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1983, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1925, and Bangladesh's obligations under applicable international conventions. The Admiralty Court has jurisdiction over a wide range of claims including ship ownership and possession disputes, cargo claims, mortgage enforcement, crew wage claims, salvage, collision liability, charter party disputes, and maritime liens.

Bangladesh is not a signatory to the 1952 International Convention on the Arrest of Ships or the 1999 Arrest Convention, which creates a distinct jurisdictional framework that differs in important respects from the arrest regimes in Singapore, England, and other common maritime jurisdictions. Arrest proceedings in Bangladesh are heard ex parte and are generally swift. Security for release is typically provided by way of a local bank guarantee, as P&I Club letters of undertaking are not accepted by the Admiralty Court. There is no requirement for the court to order counter-security as a condition of arrest, though counter-security can be obtained through separate proceedings. These procedural characteristics make Bangladesh an effective jurisdiction for creditors seeking to arrest vessels, while also creating specific strategic considerations for shipowners and their insurers responding to arrest actions.

Understanding these procedural nuances is essential to acting effectively in the Admiralty Court. Kazi Law Chamber advises both claimants seeking to use Bangladesh's admiralty jurisdiction to secure their claims and defendants seeking to challenge, reduce, or discharge arrest orders.

Ship Arrest and Vessel Release

Ship arrest is the most significant remedy available in Bangladesh's admiralty jurisdiction, allowing a claimant to immobilise a vessel and compel the provision of security without prior notice to the shipowner or operator. The practical and financial consequences of arrest are immediate and severe. For the shipowner, an arrested vessel generates no revenue while simultaneously accumulating port costs, crew wages, and charter obligations. Prompt and effective legal action on both sides of an arrest proceeding is therefore critical.

Kazi Law Chamber advises on all aspects of ship arrest and release, including:

• Filing and moving urgent arrest applications before the Admiralty Court, including outside regular court hours where the urgency of the matter requires it
• Advising on the strength and categorisation of the underlying maritime claim to ensure the arrest is properly founded
• Advising shipowners and their P&I correspondents on challenging, reducing, or discharging arrest orders
• Negotiating the quantum and form of security required for vessel release
• Advising on the legal consequences of wrongful arrest and pursuing counterclaims for losses arising from unjustified arrest proceedings
• Coordinating with surveyors, port agents, and international P&I correspondents to manage the practical consequences of arrest while proceedings are ongoing

We have recently acted for shipowners in high-value admiralty proceedings involving the wrongful re-arrest of a vessel in Bangladesh waters on a claim that had already been the subject of prior arrest and cargo discharge proceedings in Iran and a second arrest in China. In those proceedings, we successfully obtained an order for counter-security of USD 1 million to protect our client's position against the financial exposure arising from their USD 10 million bank guarantee, and filed a counterclaim of USD 14 million for losses arising from the wrongful re-arrests.

Cross-Border Ship Sale Disputes and Competing Ownership Claims

Ship sale transactions frequently give rise to disputes where delivery obligations are contested, third-party claims are asserted over vessels, or sellers attempt to retain or re-arrest vessels already transferred under letters of credit. These matters sit at the intersection of admiralty law, contract law, and international trade finance, and require lawyers who can navigate all three simultaneously.

Kazi Law Chamber has recently acted for a Bangladeshi buyer in a complex cross-border admiralty dispute arising from multiple ship sale transactions involving three separate letters of credit, where two vessels were delivered but a third was withheld by the seller and subsequently sold to another party. When that vessel arrived in Bangladesh waters, we initiated admiralty proceedings and successfully arrested the vessel to secure our client's claim, preserving the client's position and preventing dissipation of the asset pending full adjudication of the competing ownership and contractual claims.

Cargo Claims and Carriage Disputes

Cargo claims are among the most frequently litigated matters in Bangladesh's Admiralty Court, arising from shortfalls in delivery, damage during carriage, deviation, delay, and disputes over the interpretation of bills of lading and charter party agreements. Bangladesh handles significant volumes of bulk cargo including oil, grain, fertiliser, and containerised goods, and claims arising from these shipments regularly involve multiple parties including carriers, shippers, consignees, freight forwarders, and their respective insurers.

Kazi Law Chamber advises and represents parties in cargo disputes covering:

• Claims for short landing, cargo damage, and cargo loss under bills of lading and charter party agreements
• Disputes over deviation and delay and the consequences of breach of the voyage obligation
• Interpretation of Hague Rules and Hague-Visby Rules in the context of carriers' defences and cargo interests' claims
• Claims involving delivery against forged or cancelled bills of lading and fraud by receivers
• Dead freight, demurrage, and detention claims arising from loading and discharge operations
• Cargo insurance disputes and subrogated claims by marine underwriters
  
  

Dry Shipping: Charter Party and Commercial Shipping Disputes

Dry shipping disputes involve the commercial arrangements that govern the carriage of goods and the hire of vessels, rather than physical incidents at sea. These include disputes under voyage charters, time charters, contracts of affreightment, and related commercial agreements. Dry shipping work requires lawyers with both admiralty expertise and a strong foundation in commercial contract law, as these disputes often turn on the construction of complex contractual provisions against a background of international shipping practice.

Kazi Law Chamber handles the full range of dry shipping matters, including:

• Disputes under voyage charter parties, including laytime, demurrage, and despatch
• Time charter disputes involving off-hire, vessel performance, and redelivery
• Contracts of affreightment and freight disputes
• Claims under freight forwarding agreements and logistics contracts
• Lien enforcement by carriers over cargo for unpaid freight and hire
• Coordination with London Maritime Arbitrators Association and other international arbitration bodies where disputes are governed by foreign law and arbitration clauses.
  
  

Wet Shipping: Casualties, Collisions, and Salvage

Wet shipping disputes arise from physical incidents at sea and in port, including collisions between vessels, groundings, casualties resulting in loss of life or cargo, salvage operations, and towage incidents. These matters frequently involve multiple parties, significant insurance coverage questions, and parallel proceedings in different jurisdictions. Speed of response is often critical, as evidence must be preserved, witnesses secured, and surveys conducted before conditions at sea or in port change.

Kazi Law Chamber advises on wet shipping matters including:

• Collision liability disputes and apportionment of fault between vessels
• Salvage claims and disputes over salvage awards under applicable conventions
• Towage and pilotage claims and liability for damage caused during port operations
• Groundings and maritime casualties involving loss of cargo, vessel, or life
• Environmental liability arising from pollution, oil spills, and discharge incidents
• Coordination with surveyors, classification societies, and international maritime authorities in casualty investigations
  
  

Maritime Liens, Mortgages, and Ship Finance

Maritime liens and ship mortgages are the primary security instruments in ship finance, and enforcing them in the event of default requires prompt and technically sound admiralty proceedings. A maritime lien attaches to the vessel itself and travels with the ship regardless of changes in ownership, making it one of the most powerful forms of security in commercial law. Bangladesh's Admiralty Court has jurisdiction to enforce maritime liens and to order the judicial sale of a vessel to satisfy secured claims.

Kazi Law Chamber advises on:

• Enforcement of maritime liens for unpaid crew wages, bunker supplies, port charges, and salvage services
• Enforcement of ship mortgages and charges on vessels before the Admiralty Court
• Judicial sale applications and the management of proceeds among competing claimants
• Advising banks and financial institutions on the legal framework for ship financing transactions in Bangladesh
• Sale and purchase of vessels, including transfer of registration and title documentation
• Ship registration with the Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department, Chittagong, and with Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority for inland vessels
  
  

Crew Claims and Seafarer Wage Disputes

Seafarers occupy a privileged position under admiralty law. Claims for unpaid wages, unlawful termination, and repatriation costs rank among the highest-priority maritime liens and can form the basis of an arrest application against the vessel on which the seafarer served. The Bangladesh Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1983 provides the primary domestic framework governing the employment of seamen, and its provisions interact with flag state obligations, P&I Club cover, and the terms of the individual seafarer's employment contract.

Kazi Law Chamber represents both seafarers asserting wage and employment claims and shipowners and operators defending against such claims, advising on the applicable statutory framework, the procedural route to enforcement, and the interaction between domestic law and international maritime labour standards.

International Conventions and Bangladesh's Maritime Framework

Bangladesh's admiralty law framework draws on domestic legislation and international maritime conventions. The primary statutes governing admiralty practice include the Admiralty Court Act 2000, the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1983, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1925, and the Bangladesh Flag Vessels (Protection) Ordinance 1982. International conventions applicable in the Bangladesh context include the Hague Rules on bills of lading, the International Convention on Salvage, the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and elements of SOLAS and MARPOL where Bangladesh's flag state or port state obligations are engaged.

Kazi Law Chamber advises international clients, including P&I clubs, foreign shipowners, and cargo interests, on the interaction between these domestic and international instruments and on the procedural requirements for initiating or defending proceedings in the Bangladesh Admiralty Court from outside the jurisdiction.

Why Choose Kazi Law Chamber for Admiralty and Maritime Matters

Kazi Law Chamber brings to admiralty practice the combination of courtroom experience, commercial understanding, and genuine case complexity that maritime disputes demand. Our record in the Admiralty Court includes matters involving multi-jurisdictional wrongful arrest defences, complex cross-border ship sale disputes, and vessel arrest proceedings initiated and successfully executed to preserve client claims worth millions of dollars. We work with international P&I correspondents, surveyors, and foreign counsel where the cross-border nature of a dispute requires coordinated strategy across jurisdictions. Our lawyers understand that maritime disputes move at the speed of commerce, and our practice is structured to respond accordingly.

For shipowners, cargo interests, banks, insurers, P&I clubs, charterers, and freight forwarders seeking admiralty and maritime legal advice in Bangladesh, Kazi Law Chamber provides the expertise and sincerity the work requires.