About Us
The private limited company SML (registered in Join Stock Company as Shafi Motors Limited), was founded by Al-Haj Syed Md. Shafi in 1965 as a provider of vehicle related services. Gradually it turned into the largest Transport Company in Bangladesh with an enormous fleet of various Equipments including Heavy Capacity Cranes, Long Trailers, Container Chassis, Prime Movers, Trucks, Fork Lifts, Break Down Cranes, etc.
In the process of SML's dynamic growth, it became the operator of the first Government approved private Inland Container Depot (ICD), Container Freight Station (CFS) in Bangladesh which own total assets to perform Warehousing, Export-stuffing, Customs Documentation, Project Cargo Handling, Clearing and Forwarding etc. Now a days, SML has become a key part of supply chain to and from Chittagong Port, Bangladesh.
Al-Haj Syed Md. Shafi
Late Al-Haj Syed Mohammad Shafi, born in 1934, was the Chairman and Managing Director of Shafi Motors Ltd as well as the sole founder of the company. In his early career, he worked in a Government project named Ganges Kapatakkha having to do with construction of a dam.
Later, in 1965, he started his own small business of Motor Works in Chittagong which was named after him as "Ms. Shafi Motors". In the process of the dynamic success and growth of the business, he started to acquire few trucks and cranes of his own and the business sprawled into the emerging transport sector as well. Shafi Motors went a long way to be involved in few big projects i.e.Bakharabad Gas Systems, Comilla Gas Systems, Government Food Department as well as with the UNHCR and the Red Crescent Bangladesh.
He started his Real Estate business in 1990 with some commercial buildings in the heart of the Port City of Chittagong.
Meanwhile, he also got himself involved in the education sector of Bangladesh as a part of his commitment to charity and social events. He is the founder member of more than 10 schools and colleges. He also voluntarily devoted his facilities and equipments in the rescue operation following the infamous and disastrous cyclone in 1991 that rocked the country.
He made Shafi Motors to become "Shafi Motors Ltd." in 1978 as a consequence of the huge growth it had over the years. Bangladesh's first Inland Container Depot, Shafi Depot, for Marine container came into scenario and the Container Freight Station facilities for Export stuffing has been licensed to him by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in parallel to the operations of bonded warehouses.
Since then, the Acronym SML has become un-arguably popular to the Shipping World and others as a reliable place for logistics services and equipments.
In course of his glorious life, Al-Haj Syed Mohammad Shafi is happily married with Mrs. Ayesha Khatun. Their 5 daughters and 3 sons have also shown outstanding academic performances and greater commitment to the fame of the family-conglomerate.
Al-Haj Syed Mohammad Shafi died in Chittagong at the age of 84 years on 15 September 2017. He was buried in family graveyard in Raozan.
Our Services
Inland Container Depot
The ICD, known as Shafi Depot, is the first and one of the largest container depots in Bangladesh approved by the government. 6000 TEUs of storage capacity (3 High), own equipments to handle containers, container repairing facilities and close proximity to Chittagong Port make SML an ideal choice for Shipping Lines and Agents for their valuable containers.
Our Facilities
