Bangladesh Maritime University

About: Shohida Aktar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Port and Shipping Management at Bangladesh Maritime University. She holds a Bachelor of Maritime Science (BMS) from Bangladesh Marine Academy, Chattogram, and a Master in Maritime Science (MMS) from Bangladesh Maritime University. Prior to joining academia, she served as a female seafarer on merchant vessel of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), where she gained practical experience in maritime operations. This unique combination of seafaring experience and academic expertise informs her teaching and research. As an active researcher, Ms. Aktar has published several research papers in reputed journals. She has also co-authored a monograph developed in collaboration with Nuffic (STC Next) and the Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development (BIMRAD). She presented her research at an international conference held in Bangkok, Thailand. She has actively participated in various Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes and holds multiple professional certifications. In 2022, she was awarded the Nuffic-funded Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) scholarship to attend the short course on Manager Port Operations (MPO) in the Netherlands. In 2025, she successfully completed the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-funded Regional Training Course for Women Auditors under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS). Ms. Aktar has served as Member Secretary of four curriculum development committees for both undergraduate and master’s programmes. She has also successfully completed a University Grants Commission (UGC)-funded research project as Project Director. Her academic and professional interests focus on port and shipping management, maritime sustainability, port digitalization, and maritime human resource development.

Research Area:

Port Sustainability, Marine Spatial Planning, Women Seafarers, Net-Zero Emissions, Maritime Environmental Management, Sustainable Coastal Tourism.

Research Interests:

Smart and Sustainable Port Development, Marine Spatial Planning, Maritime Human Rights (with a focus on Women Seafarers), Green Shipping and Net-Zero Pathways, Maritime Environmental Sustainability.

Teaching:

Port and Shipping Operations; Maritime Environment and Pollution; Maritime Safety and Security; Introduction to Maritime Industry; Transport Security and Risk Management; Maritime Environment and Sustainability Management.

Academic Qualifications:

Sl	Exam	Institute	Year	Result
1	Master in Maritime Science	Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University, Bangladesh	2021	CGPA 3.92
2	Bachelor in Maritime Science (Marine Engineering)	Bangladesh Marine Academy, Chittagong	2017	CGPA 3.81
3	Higher Secondary School Certificate	Rajshahi College, Rajshahi	2012	Golden A+ (GPA 5)
4	Secondary School Certificate	Monigram High School, Rajshahi	2010	Golden A+ (GPA 5)

In Service Courses, Symposium, Workshop and Seminar:

Sl	Title	Institute	Year	Remarks
1	Training Course on Engine Room Simulator	International Maritime Academy	2016
2	Training on Annual Performance Agreement (APA)	BSMRMU	2022	Resource Person: R H M Alaol Kabir,Senior Consultant: Research & Innovation Specialist (Team Leader) in iDEA project, Bangladesh
3	2nd Foundation Training Course	BSMRMU	2022	45 days long training for professional development
4	IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) – Regional Training Course for Women Auditors	Maritime & Port Authority (MPA), Singapore	2025	International Maritime Organization (IMO) Funded
5	Competency-Based Education and Training	BMU & CINOP Netherlands	2023	Competency in CBET implementation, Bloom's Taxonomy, active learning strategies, competency-based assessment, and workplace-based training
6	Smart Port Management: Empowering Economic Prosperity with AI Bootcamp	IQAC, BMU	2025	Completed the U.S. Fulbright Specialist Program under the guidance of Dr. Burak Cankaya, Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA, enhancing expertise in smart port ma
7	Advanced Research Methods on Shipping Sector	FSA, BMU	2025	Hands on Training
8	Institutional Annual Research Initiative (IARI) & QS University Roadmap	IQAC, BMU	2025	Conducted by Dr. P R Datta, Executive Chair, FCIM, FRSA, FHEA, CMBE, CBER, UK

Professional Memberships:

• Member- Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association (BMMOA)

Awards:

1. Full financial support for attending International Conference on “Maritime Studies and Marine Innovation(MSMI) 2020 – Towards a Sustainable Ocean”, Bangkok, Thailand.

2. Vice-Chancellor Merit Scholarship.

3. Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) Scholarship, Nuffic, Netherlands, 2022

Experience:

Sl	Designation	Organization	From	To	Remarks
1	Cadet Engineer	Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, Chittagong	10-Jan-2016	11-Jun-2017
2	Lecturer	Bangladesh Maritime University	14-Mar-2022	18-May-2026

Publications:

Selected Research Papers:

• Kakon, K., Askari, H. R., Aktar, S., & Shaheen, M. M. A., et al. (2026). Assessing human rights preservation for women seafarers on board. Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1080/18366503.2026.2662114

• Hoque, M. M., Shaheen, M. M. A., Hoque, E., Ritika, A. K., Rahman, M. A., & Aktar, S. (2025). Evaluating Matarbari Deep Sea Port's sustainability roadmap: A triple bottom line approach (Monograph). Institute of Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh Studies (IBBBS), BSMRMU. ISSN 3078-4530.

• Islam, N., & Aktar, S. (2024). Sustainable coastal and maritime tourism development in Kuakata, Bangladesh: From the perception of tourists. European Journal of Business and Management, 16(9), 132-139. https://doi.org/10.7176/EJBM/16-9-13

• Aktar S, Alimuzzaman A. T. M., Mannan S. and Sakib N (2022). “Initiating Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Process: Resolving conflicts between Chittagong Port and other maritime sectors of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Maritime Journal, Volume 6 Issue 1, January 2022.

• Samiullah, M. S., Aktar, S., Abu Sayed, M. A., & Golam, S. M. (2024). Impacts of coal-fired power plant emissions on the environment: A Bangladesh perspective. PowerTech Journal, 48(2). https://powertechjournal.com

• Samiullah, M. S., & Aktar, S. (2025). Pathways toward net-zero emissions in the maritime sector: Evaluation of IMO's strategic framework. Journal of Engineering and Technology (JET), 3.

Social Link: Other remarks: * Served as Project Director of a UGC-funded research project titled “Recruitment and Retention Challenges of Women in Seafaring Careers.” *Curriculum Development: Served as Member Secretary and completed Outcome-Based Education (OBE) curriculum development for several curriculum committees- -Masters in Port and Shipping Management (MPSM) -BBA in port Management and Logistics (PML), -B.Sc. (Honours) in Marine Engineering Curriculum of Affiliated 7 Marine Academies (Uniform Curriculum) -MPSM curriculum development under Nuffic TMT Project. *Served as Proofreader for Journal of Shipping Management, Volume 1, 2 *Contributed to the development of the short course on Marine Spatial Planning as a committee member of IBBBS, BMU. *Club Coordinator- Business & Career Club (2024 session), Maritime Design & Innovation Club (2025 session). *Served as Member of Theme, Topic, Guest Speaker and International Liaison Sub-Committee for the BMU International Seminar Comittee 2025. *Moderator of the Seminar on 'Understanding the Modern-Day Challenges in Maritime Transport and Shipping.' 2025. *Course Coordinator- BBA in PML 4th and & 7th Batch. *External Examiner and Moderator- Affiliated Marine academy.