Chittagong Port Authority Auditorium, Chittagong, Bangladesh

From Facilitation Payments to Fair Trade: Advancing Integrity in Bangladesh’s Maritime Sector

At the recent “𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫” seminar organized by Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) Bangladesh, Mr. 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢𝐥 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐡𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡, President of YoungShip Bangladesh, Board Director of the BSAA - Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association, and Managing Director of 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩, spoke on the topic “𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.” ⚓ In his address, he highlighted the long-standing issue of arbitrary “𝐍𝐎𝐂 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬” demanded by certain charterers’ or declaring agents from owner-protecting agents. This practice had no legal basis under the Customs Act or Port Regulations. Following sustained discussions and industry engagement, the BSAA, under the leadership of Chairman Syed Mohammad Arif, issued a formal circular on 15 October 2024 defining the proper process for issuing NOCs between Owner Agents and Declaring Agents. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠: ✅ NOCs are issued promptly when documentation is complete. ✅ Owner Protecting Agents perform only the services appointed by shipowners. ✅ Declaring Agents act transparently, without undue delay or arbitrary charges. This proactive action, complemented by the committee established to prevent misuse of NOC procedures, represents a significant step toward integrity, accountability, and efficiency at Chittagong Port. Mr. Ruhullah expressed his appreciation to 𝐁𝐒𝐀𝐀 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐟 for his decisive leadership and acknowledged MACN Bangladesh for its continuous role in promoting collective action against corruption in the maritime industry. Under his leadership, Interport Group became the first Bangladeshi company to achieve full membership in the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), placing Bangladesh firmly on the global integrity map and proving that ethical business is both possible and profitable. 🌍 “Every time a ship agent says ‘no’ to a facilitation payment, we strengthen not only our ports but also our nation’s image in global trade.” Through partnership and integrity, Bangladesh’s maritime community continues to move forward from facilitation payments to fair trade. 🌊 #maritimebangladesh #integrityintrade #MACN #BSAA #ChittagongPort #fairtrade #AntiCorruption #CollectiveAction #leadership #youngshipbangladesh #interport

Copenhagen, Denmark

Featured in Data Heroes Series of Maritime Anti-Corruption Network(MACN)

As part of the DATA HEROES series, MACN featured Mr. Tanjil Ahmed Ruhullah, Managing Director of Interport Group, a leading provider of maritime services, including Claims Handling (as P&I Correspondents and H&M Correspondents), and Ship Agency in Bangladesh. Interport is leveraging MACN’s corruption risk data to better understand global port trends and patterns; this empowers them to deliver greater value to the ship owners they support.

By using MACN data, Interport helps ship owners and ship managers prepare their crew members more effectively and navigate high-risk environments with greater confidence.

"MACN’s incident data transforms our role from a reactive Ship Agent to a proactive partner; by knowing where and when challenges are most likely to arise, we can help shipowners prepare, and in many cases, prevent corruption-related incidents entirely." 

– Tanjil Ahmed Ruhullah FCILT BSc (Hons) LLB (Lond.), Managing Director, Interport Group

This transformation is a testament to the power of data in driving integrity, preparedness, and impact across the maritime industry.

Copenhagen, Denmark

MACN Spring Members Meeting 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark

MACN Spring Members Meeting 2025 – Copenhagen 🇩🇰

It was a privilege to attend the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) Spring Members Meeting 2025 in Copenhagen—my second time attending MACN members meeting, and also my second visit to beautiful Copenhagen, which was a truly delightful experience (coupled with the beautiful weather 🌞)!

Representing Interport Group, the first MACN member from Bangladesh 🇧🇩, it was an honor to reconnect with the vibrant MACN community—bringing together over 180 participants from across the globe. Reuniting with familiar faces, engaging in meaningful dialogues with new connections, along with the dynamic Secretariat and Board Members added depth to the experience. Trond Hovig Braathen Alexandra Belmonte Ann Shazell Vivek Menon Ignacio Kantor Capt. Anwar Farah (MNI) Krishnan Subramaniam FICS Kasper N. Ellen Ingdal Rosalyn Andrews Anna de Vries Martin Stene Sarah Diaa Sachin Shanbhag Øistein Jensen Dorte Thuesen Christensen Cecilia Müller Torbrand Neale Proctor Jacob Guldager

This Spring Meeting offered powerful insights—ranging from ethical leadership as a strategic advantage (with Mikael Skov), to the role of senior leadership in fostering value-driven cultures (with Tina Revsbech), and evolving global anti-bribery trends (with Charles Duross). The emphasis on operational transparency and ethical supply chain management was timely and well-framed through hands-on workshops and value chain exercises.

I was particularly impressed by the new MACN Member Portal—a fantastic upgrade enhancing functionality and access to critical integrity data. Turning data into actionable intelligence is key to meaningful anti-corruption work, and it’s encouraging to see MACN driving innovation in this space.

As the leading P&I correspondent in Bangladesh, it was also a special moment to witness the appointment of Jeremy Grose, Managing Director of NorthStandard, to the MACN Board. The involvement of P&I clubs in this important forum cannot be overstated—they remain a vital force in supporting MACN’s mission and shaping a more transparent maritime industry. It was also a delight to see my friend Anthony Cage representing the newest P&I Club Member The London P&I Club of MACN!

Returning to Bangladesh, it was a pleasure to share my experience at the 4th Working Group meeting of MACN Bangladesh! I am also happy to share an write-up featured by SeaNews, UK for our work in promoting ethical practices in the Maritime industry in Bangladesh and some proposed solutions:

https://lnkd.in/eBUjce9M