Kazi Law Chamber is an established admiralty and maritime law firm in Dhaka, representing shipowners, cargo interests, financial institutions, and commercial parties across the full range of maritime disputes and transactions arising under Bangladesh law and applicable international conventions. Bangladesh sits at the intersection of major maritime trade routes and operates two of South Asia's most significant commercial ports at Chittagong and Mongla. As cross-border shipping activity through Bangladesh continues to grow, so too has the volume and complexity of maritime disputes brought before the Admiralty Court of the High Court Division. The firm is active in this court, handling matters that range from urgent ship arrests to complex multi-jurisdictional counterclaims involving competing ownership rights, wrongful arrest defences, and enforcement of international maritime instruments.
Book a ConsultationWhat 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 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 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.
Our services include:
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.
Our services include:
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.
Our services include:
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.
Our services include:
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.
Our services include:
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.
Our services include:
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 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.
Our services include:
Bangladesh's admiralty law framework draws on both 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 relevant 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.
Our services include:
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.
Why clients choose us:
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.
