Bangladeshi mariner earns UK’s Chartered Master Mariner honor
Collected Photo
The story of Golam Hossain began in the stormy seas. Navigating global sea routes through hostile weather with courage and success, turning the steering wheel gradually matched his life’s unique journey of accomplishment.
After spending 14 years at sea, he stepped onto the shores of Hong Kong. A new challenge awaited him there. No longer working for a monthly salary, he ventured into the high-risk, profit-and-loss business world. There too, he succeeded.
Leaving behind 24 years of business life, he took the helm at the Ship Registry Department of the Bahamas, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean of North America, becoming its deputy director.
He is the only foreigner appointed to such a high and honorable position in North America. Sitting in his office in England, he makes crucial decisions for the Bahamas government’s maritime sector while representing the Bahamas at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Hailing from Anwara in Chittagong, Golam was a brilliant cadet at Bangladesh Marine Academy. After attending Anwara School and Faujdarhat Cadet College, he completed a three-year course at the Marine Academy.
As an early post-independence student from the 11th batch, he earned the unique achievement of being an early Gold Medalist and received the prestigious President Gold Medal in recognition of his talent and discipline, setting the foundation to reach unique heights in the marine sector.
His performance gave him the courage to pursue ambitious goals. While mariners usually prefer working on land before retirement after acquiring skills as ship captains, Golam was a complete exception.
Aiming far ahead, he focused on earning degrees in business management and maritime law to qualify himself for global maritime policy-making. He joined The Nautical Institute in London to demonstrate his skill and later established a similar institute in Dhaka to guide Bangladeshi mariners toward excellence.
When a master mariner becomes skilled in both maritime law and business management, he steps ahead in transitioning from ship command to policy-making. Golam joined the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the highest forum in the global maritime sector, serving as a technical manager.
In business, he demonstrated unique commercial capability running bulk commodity trading, shipping, chartering, and shipbreaking operations.
This commercial skill originated in 1991 when he scored the highest marks in Maritime Transport Management from the General Council of British Shipping, later receiving the Princess Royal award from the British Royal Family.
Golam said, “Achieving Chartered Master Mariner status is the pinnacle of the nautical profession. I am honored to receive this recognition. This milestone is not mine alone. It belongs to the mentors, colleagues, crew members, and family who provided support both at sea and on shore throughout my career.
“Excellence in the maritime sector is never a single effort; it is the product of joint dedication, teamwork, and an unwavering commitment to safety and professionalism.”
The Chartered Master Mariner (CMMar) status is one of the most prestigious recognitions in the marine profession. The Honorable Company of Master Mariners in the United Kingdom represents a dream for millions of mariners worldwide.
Through a rigorous evaluation process, only five to six individuals receive this honor annually, which is considered the “gold standard” of professional excellence for Master Mariners. As a Bangladeshi, Golam achieved this prestigious honor and was presented with the award on 19 February during a grand ceremony at the historic Liverpool Town Hall in England.
Prior to receiving this honor, he proved his qualifications in the international maritime sector in 2020 when he was appointed deputy director (Maritime Affairs) of the Bahamas Maritime Authority.
Foreigners are usually not appointed to top positions in government institutions handling ocean-going ship registration, but Golam proved the necessity of his appointment. The Bahamas is one of the world’s leading ship registration nations, ranking number one globally in cruise and passenger ship registration.
Representing this world-renowned organization at the IMO, a Bangladeshi citizen shaping global naval regulations under a UN agency is not merely a job story - it is a narrative of patience, education, and visionary planning.
He did not stop with his seafaring courage. In 1989, he joined The Nautical Institute, a leading international professional body for navigators and marine professionals founded in the UK in 1972 that holds consultative status at the IMO to improve global shipping safety, efficiency, and professional standards.
After establishing The Nautical Institute in Dhaka, he served as its secretary and worked to raise Bangladeshi mariners to international professional status, proving that reaching global maritime leadership requires dedicating time to professional organizations, demonstrating exceptional leadership qualities, and building long-term relationships beyond standing on a ship’s bridge.
Advising young mariners, he said, “To the cadets who are waiting to join ships, I specifically request you to be patient, resilient, and to use this waiting time for learning. Your time will come too.”
Golam is the father of a son and a daughter. His wife, Fahmida Hossain, runs an antique furniture business in London. His son, Mahriar Fahad Hossain, is a professor at Shanghai International IB School in China, while his daughter, Samanja Mariam Hossain, completed her degree in chemical engineering and is pursuing music at the world-renowned Royal Academy of Music in London.
