Bangladesh has registered around 1,800 of the roughly 2,500 lighter vessels moving cargo from ocean-going ships at Chattogram’s outer anchorage on a digital management platform, according to a Bangladesh government press release.
State Minister for Shipping and Bridges Md Razib Ahsan unveiled the latest rollout of the Lighter Vessel Management Software, or LVMS, on 16 August at the Department of Shipping headquarters.
The system brings vessel registration, allocation, scheduling and operational information onto a single platform as Bangladesh tightens oversight of one of the country’s key ship-to-shore cargo links.
“The LVMS will help eliminate irregularities in the sector and establish greater accountability,” Ahsan said. The system was initially launched by the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell on 30 January 2026, replacing parts of a manual vessel-allocation process with digital sequencing.
LVMS uses geo-fencing and a first-come, first-served allocation system and includes real-time berthing information, vessel monitoring, weather alerts and emergency notifications. Ahsan said Chattogram Port Authority and the Mercantile Marine Office had been instructed not to allow commercial vessels to discharge cargo without a no-objection certificate from the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard had also received enforcement instructions. He said arrangements were being made to secure two trips per month for each lighter vessel and to ensure the recovery of dispatch and demurrage payments.
Jahaji Limited provided technical support for the system after more than three and a half years of development work. The privately held Bangladeshi technology company was founded in 2019 and is based in Khulna, with activities focused on digital services and data analytics for inland water transport.