Md. Shahriar Ripon:
Chittagong Port Authority Assistant Harbor Master Captain Asif Ahmed has been formally nominated for the prestigious International Maritime Organization (IMO) “Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea-2026”. The award will be presented to him on December 14, 2026, in recognition of his highly skilled and successful response to a major industrial and environmental disaster in the Karnaphuli Channel earlier this year.
On January 20, 2026, Captain Asif Ahmed was in charge of berthing the 159.9-meter-long Liberian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier ‘Gas Harmony’, loaded with 515 metric tons of propane and 4,570 metric tons of butane gas, at the United Tank Terminal Jetty. At that time, suddenly and without any prior warning, the engine and steering of the huge ship failed and the ship became completely uncontrollable due to the strong current.
The ship lost power and started to speed uncontrollably towards the neighboring KAFCO Ammonia Jetty. If the jetty had collided with the ship loaded with this highly flammable and explosive material, a terrible series of explosions could have occurred; which could have caused a major disaster such as massive loss of life to the people of Chittagong, severe damage to the port infrastructure and the closure of this main maritime gateway of the country for a long time.
With only seconds to make a decision, Captain Asif displayed great courage and perfect skill at the risk of his own life. He immediately ordered the emergency anchor to stop the ship’s movement and at the same time, he directed the rescue tugboats to tow the ship in the opposite direction by maintaining constant communication with the port’s Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS). As a result of this perfect and farsighted strategy, the uncontrolled ship stopped moving and came to a complete stop, just 1.2 meters from the ‘Gas Harmony’ jetty structure, without any damage.
Captain Asif Ahmed made the decision with skill, intelligence, strong morale and infinite courage, disregarding the illusion of his own life. Due to his quick action, a terrible accident could have been avoided; otherwise, there could have been extensive loss of life and property as well as long-term damage to the jetty and international waterways.
Captain Asif’s extraordinary skill and bravery have already been appreciated worldwide and he has received a formal certificate of appreciation from the captain and owner of the ship ‘Gas Harmony’. It is worth noting that the IMO Extraordinary Heroism Award is the highest honor in the global maritime sector, which is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to preventing disasters and accidents at sea by risking their lives.
Views: 10
