CHATTOGRAM, Oct 25: The state-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has decided to sell two oil tankers that were recently damaged by fire.
According to BSC sources, MV Banglar Saurav and MV Banglar Jyoti, two oil tankers used for carrying petroleum products of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) were badly damaged by fire on September 30 and October 5 respectively.
Furthermore, the tankers had reached the end of their useful life. As a result, the tankers have become unusable.
For this reason, the BSC has taken decision to sell the tankers. Sources said, the BSC management has sent a proposal to the Ministry for approval which is now waiting.
The BSC has chartered a tanker for carrying the oil of BPC at $26,000 daily. The chartered ship will transport 30,000 metric tonnes of oil.
BSC is responsible for carrying petroleum from a mother vessel anchored at the Outer Anchorage to the installations of Eastern Refinery Limited. That is why the BSC will carry BPC petroleum products till the beginning of the operation of Single Point Mooring.
According to the BSC, MV Banglar Saurav and Banglar Jyoti usually carried 11,055 metric tonnes of oil regularly from a mother tanker from Outer Anchorage that carried over one lakh metric tonnes.
Despite rapid growth in Bangladesh's private shipping sector, the state-owned Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has seen a steady decline in its fleet capacity over the years mainly in the absence of proper maintenance.
Initially boasting 44 ships, the BSC's numbers dwindled to just two by 2018. While six new vessels were added in 2019, the fleet has remained static for the past five years.
The lighter vessel Banglar Jyoti was 37-year-old. Another vessel Banglar Saurav, also aged 37, has raised safety questions regarding oil transportation following the Banglar Jyoti incident.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has classified the damaged Banglar Jyoti and MT Banglar Saurav as risky vessels.
Both ships, built in 1987, have reached the end of their operational lifespan.
In response, the BPC has decided to stop using the 37-year-old Banglar Jyoti and Banglar Saurav for oil transport, deeming them unsafe. Until new ships are purchased, BSC will rely on chartered vessels for transporting BPC's crude oil.
According to BPC, mother vessels carrying imported crude oil anchor in the Kutubdia Outer Anchorage area, where each vessel holds at least 100,000 tonnes of oil but cannot access Chattogram Port due to shallow depths.
