The Bangladesh Navy commissioned its 10th indigenously built Padma class inshore patrol vessel on 30 November 2024.
The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Naval Staff and other senior defence and government officials.
BNS Bishkhali is 51.6 metres (169 ft 3 in) long, 7.5 metres (24 ft 7 in) wide, 4.2 metres (13 ft 9 in) high. The patrol vessel has a displacement of 350 tonnes. She has a top speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). The ship’s complement is 45 persons and can carry out missions lasting up to seven days at a time.
The ship is equipped with one Bofors 40 mm L/60 cannon and a pair of 12.7 mm CIS 50 HMGs. Bishkhali can also carry naval mines and MANPADS in war time.
The Padma class IPVs are built by the Khulna Shipyard (KSY) with transfer of technology from China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).
BNS Bishkhali is named after a large patrol craft commissioned on 23 November 1978. It is a former Pakistan Navy ship BNS Jessore, which was sunk by naval commandos of Bangladesh during the 1971 war. It was finally decommissioned on 20 May 2014 after serving for around 36 years under Commodore Commanding BN Khulna (COMKHUL).