Container ships carry goods across the world, and since 2020, Saber Hossain Chowdhury’s Karnaphuli Group has invested heavily in this sector. That June, the group’s subsidiary, HR Lines, launched its container-shipping operations. The national flag carrier now operates eight feeder vessels and can handle roughly 11,000 TEUs.

According to Alphaliner, a liner shipping industry data and consultancy firm, HR Lines ranked 71st among the world’s top 100 container-shipping companies in 2022. Two places above it sat India’s state-owned Shipping Corporation of India. By December 11, 2025, HR Lines had slipped to 75th.

Over the past decade, Saber Hossain Chowdhury and his family have maintained near-total dominance of container shipping in Bangladesh. The family’s business remained unaffected even after the 2024 July Uprising that toppled the Awami League government. Chowdhury is a senior party leader and previously served as a government minister.

HR Lines is the flagship of Karnaphuli Group, which was founded in 1954 by late Hedayet Hossain Chowdhury, a pioneer of Bangladesh’s shipping industry. The company passed to his son, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, forming its second generation, and is now managed by his children, marking the third.

Khairul Alam Suzan, former director of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, told Bonik Barta, “International giants dominate container shipping globally, often operating directly or through local agents. But Karnaphuli Group as a local Bangladeshi company has carved out a strong position.”

HR Lines launched roughly 18 months after the 11th national elections and quickly entered the top 100 global container-shipping companies.

Multiple vessels under HR Lines Limited are listed in international maritime directories, including HR AARAI, HR BALU, HR FARHA, HR HERA, HR RHEA, HR SAHARE, HR SARERA, and HR TURAG. Latest tracking data show HR HERA (IMO 9175614) en route to Singapore; HR RHEA (IMO 9175597) and HR FARHA (IMO 9123582) heading to Chattogram; HR AARAI (IMO 9123594) anchored on the same route; HR SAHARE (IMO 9157399) sailing for Colombo; and HR SARERA (IMO 9157404) bound for Chattogram.

Bangladesh’s shipping and logistics sectors have long depended on Karnaphuli Group. The company over decades has expanded gradually, importing paper and vehicles, transporting heavy machinery, and building logistics, shipping, and internal distribution networks. Its units manage cargo transport, docking, ship repair, cargo handling, and port-dependent supply chains. The group’s own transport and shipping infrastructure provides a significant competitive edge.

Among Bangladesh’s major industrial groups, Karnaphuli Group stands out for its own fleet of ships, barges, transport vehicles, and port-based operations. Its long-standing presence and network at Chattogram port have cemented its leadership in shipping supply chains. The group’s capabilities extend beyond its own business, facilitating the transport of goods for major importers, distributors, and industrial firms across the country.

The group operates as a diversified conglomerate in the country, with an annual turnover exceeding BDT 23 billion and employing more than 3,000 people, according to its website. Industry insiders note that the group’s dominant position in shipping and logistics puts its turnover on par with Bangladesh’s top conglomerates.

Chittagong Port Secretary Md Omar Faruk told Bonik Barta, “Container shipping in Bangladesh is mainly handled by various international lines. But HR Lines leads among local companies. For nearly five years, its registered vessels have been active at sea, and eight of its container ships are currently engaged in domestic cargo transport.”

Last year, Saber Hossain Chowdhury’s name made headlines over the arrival of the vessel MV Yuan Xiang FA Zhan from Karachi. The ship’s local agent is Chowdhury’s family-owned shipping company, sparking extensive discussion on social media.

Multiple shipping insiders say Saber Hossain Chowdhury is planning a major expansion at Matarbari deep-sea port. The first phase involves building a warehouse near Pangaon, enabling raw materials—including cotton—to move via feeder vessels from Matarbari to the Pangaon inland terminal. If executed, this plan would strengthen the presence of Switzerland-based MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company in Bangladesh, where Saber Hossain also acts as its direct agent.

At Keraniganj’s Buriganga riverside, MSC subsidiary MEDLOG now operates the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal under a 22-year concession agreement with the port authority. Saber Hossain’s company is involved in MEDLOG’s local operations.

“Saber Hossain Chowdhury has influenced major port decisions and contracts from the start. He was directly involved in Red Sea Gateway Group’s entry at Patenga terminal. He also serves as MSC’s direct agent in Bangladesh. After his arrest on August 5 last year, MSC and its embassy lobbied the interim government for his release. He has also had direct dealings with DP World since 2007,” a port user told Bonik Barta, speaking on condition of anonymity.

DP World is still listed on Karnaphuli Group’s website as an associate company. Saber Hossain was granted bail on October 8, 2024.

Another proprietor of a leading firm in shipping business said, “Karnaphuli Group is Saber Hossain Chowdhury’s core enterprise. He partners with MSC in Bangladesh’s container business. HR Lines is also part of the family business. The family maintains near-monopoly control over container shipping, with subsidiaries like K-Line and One Line operated by Saber Hossain’s relatives. He also controls container and feeder operations under PIL Shipping and through Sea Consortium.”

Port and ministry sources indicate that even after political changes, Saber Hossain Chowdhury remains influential. His family’s role in appointing foreign operators is widely acknowledged. A closer look at local representatives of foreign operators reveals several entities linked to his family.

Currently, debate over foreign operators focuses on New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) — Chittagong Port’s most modern and profitable facility. Its annual operating contract is renewed directly without an international tender. Strong efforts are underway to grant a long-term concession to DP World, a company with which Saber Hossain has been closely associated since the start.

He is credited with introducing DP World to Bangladesh, leveraging HR Lines, the country’s largest container-handling firm. However, several port officials, speaking anonymously, said government directives guide foreign operator appointments, leaving no room for local representatives to exert influence.

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Exporters Association of Bangladesh, told Bonik Barta, “We have no mother vessel and a very few feeder vessels. To move raw materials and export containers to mother vessels bound for Singapore and other destinations, Saber Hossain Chowdhury’s national-flag carrier feeder ships are used.”

Repeated calls to Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Karnaphuli Group Director Hamdan Hossain Chowdhury for comment went unanswered.