The Bangladesh Shipping Company (BSC) has chartered a vessel from in a international country to movement unsightly oil from mother vessels to the Eastern Refinery, as wait on-to-wait on fires on its two oil tankers contain raised concerns over the protection of Chattogram Port.
Early this day (5 October), a hearth on the MT Banglar Shourabh left a individual killed, and three other folks died following an explosion aboard the MT Banglar Jyoti on 30 September.
Because the articulate-owned BSC has launched an investigation into the possibility of sabotage, Commodore Mahmudul Malek, managing director of the corporate, suspects these incidents could also simply be geared towards undermining the country’s vitality security.
At a press convention this day, he talked about, “A preliminary investigation revealed that fires broke out simultaneously at four areas on the MV Banglar Shourabh. For the explanation that fire did not arise from gasoline formation or any pure reason, and a speedboat passed by on the time, we suspect it would also simply were sabotage.”
He added, “These wait on-to-wait on fires pose a threat to the nation’s vitality security. A vested neighborhood could also simply contain orchestrated this to destabilise the country. A committee, led by BSC Govt Director Mohammad Yusuf, has been fashioned to determine those accountable for the fires.”
Because the BSC or any deepest firm lacks lawful ships, the corporate has finalised a vessel structure task to movement unsightly oil from the mum vessels to the Eastern Refinery.
Commodore Malek acknowledged that they started the technique of chartering a vessel following the main fire incident, as both of their vessels are 37 years veteran.
“Since both ships will not transport oil, now we contain chartered a vessel with a capability of 30,000 tonnes from in a international country, anticipated to strategy on Sunday and can simply transport oil within two days,” he talked about, with out disclosing the additional small print.
“Transporting oil with home ships keeps money in the country. However, the employ of a chartered vessel will result in currency flowing in a international country. This plot will continue till the commissioning of BPC’s Single Level Mooring mission.”
Asked if transporting oil with a chartered vessel would preserve shut longer, Malek explained that while the Jyoti and Saurav can preserve 30,000 tonnes, they never transported more than 10,000 tonnes. A chartered vessel can lift more than double that quantity, doubtlessly ensuing in a shorter transportation time.
Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Shakhawat Hossain will discuss with Chattogram for three days starting up 6 October to think in regards to the port. In some unspecified time in the future of his discuss with, he’ll engage with varied stakeholders and tour key facilities, in conjunction with the port, ongoing initiatives, and the submarine frightening.
Threat of a catastrophic catastrophe
Rather then the BSC, utterly different stakeholders on the port and native businessmen contain expressed concerns after the fire incidents, noting the inability of a well-equipped fire role from the Bay of Bengal estuary to Chattogram Port. This raises the threat of a catastrophic catastrophe in the match of a prime fire.
Firefighters from Karnaphuli, Export Processing Zone, and Bandar fire stations must acknowledge to fires in these serious areas, they talked about, additionally questioning the protection of gasoline oil transportation and storage in Chattogram.
Shut to Chattogram Port, along the banks of the Karnaphuli River, are key facilities such as Eastern Refinery, the Naval Deplorable, and depots belonging to Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna oil firms, besides to the TSP Complex, Identical old Asiatic Oil Company, and LP Gas Company Puny. These facilities arrange varied dangerous affords and encompass 18 deepest depots.
Businessmen pressured out the need for tighter security and fire safety features, as Chattogram Port is not most effective the country’s industrial lifeline but additionally strategically crucial.
They mediate that since the tumble of the Hasina executive amid mass uprising, varied sectors contain descended into chaos. Labour unrest has been reported in industries love the garment sector, and besides they suspect these disruptions are orchestrated.
Mohammed Amirul Haque, chairman of Seacom Team, told The Trade Identical old, “Free movement of folk is undesirable shut to grease refineries love Eastern Refinery and utterly different KPIs (Key Capabilities installations). Airports and deepest depots were established one after but any other, along with nearby tunnels.”
He emphasised that no country permits such facilities to exist shut to grease refineries, as it complicates predictions of the catastrophic consequences of a prime fire. Therefore, relocating varied institutions away from the oil refinery discipline is main.
“Historically, the formation of inquiry committees into sabotage has been a mere facade. Despite the indisputable truth that sabotage incidents contain continuously happened across Bangladesh, appropriate investigations contain failed to determine those responsible,” Amirul Haque acknowledged.
He well-known that while intelligence and law enforcement agencies are trying to glean culprits independently, and besides they neglect to contain investigation committees.
“Optimistically, this time shall be utterly different. All anarchists and conspirators ought to be prosecuted. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies must note down those occupied with the burning of those two BSC tanker vessels and lift them to justice,” he concluded.
Predominant Md Wahidul Haque, Director (Security and Operations) at Chattogram Port, told TBS that the fresh fires on the two tankers are totally unacceptable.
He well-known that safety features on the port were strengthened, with security indicators raised. Two tugboats were purchased for fire security, and utterly different organisations, in conjunction with the Navy, contain established their very contain fire security management systems.
In step with the BSC, the MV Banglar Saurav used to be carrying 11,055 tonnes of oil and had forty eight workers on board, in conjunction with 42 crew participants.
A steward named Sadek Mia from Noakhali died from accidents sustained in the fire, which broke out around 12:50am on Saturday.
It took four hours for the High-tail Guard, Navy, and Chattogram Port Authority to govern the blaze. Happily, 47 workers had been rescued unharmed, in conjunction with one crew member who jumped into the sea to flee.
In step with knowledge from connected organisations, in conjunction with the fire provider, a hearth broke out in the pump dwelling of the articulate-owned Jamuna Petroleum Company in the early hours of 11 June.
Suggested movement by workers averted the fire from spreading. A old fire incident happened on the Jamuna Oil depot in Chattogram on 28 February 2014.
Abdul Malek, assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate in the Chattogram articulate, acknowledged that there would possibly be not always a hearth role in Patenga, and aid comes from the Karnaphuli, EPZ, and Bandar fire stations.
He warned that if a hearth had been to interrupt out on the chief gasoline oil depots in Guptakhal, Patenga, it could well maybe be not seemingly to extinguish it the employ of venerable techniques, doubtlessly causing in depth injury. He additionally well-known that every oil firm – Padma, Meghna, and Jamuna – has its contain separate firefighting machine.
