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BSC limping

NURUL ALAM
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation's (BSC) plan for procuring a new fleet of 15 vessels remained shelved for years together, sources said.
As a result, BSC is now limping with a fleet of some 13 vessels of old type. The present fleet included one container vessel, two oil tankers and ten multipurpose ships to carry cargo.
BSC, the state-owned organisation, was formed in 1972 under a presidential order and started its journey with no ship of its own, sources said.
It procured its first cargo vessel in June, 1972. It then purchased 38 vessels in phases, sources added.
General Manager (Planning) Shahidul Alam told The Daily Star that BSC had the highest fleet of 25 operational vessels in 1981-82 which now came down to only 13.
Other ships were disposed of on various occasions after expiry of longevity.
The last disposal, MV Banglar Asha, was made in October in 1999, Alam said.
The number of vessels could not be increased later as the plan for procuring 15 more ships could not be implemented, he added.
According to the fleet planning, BSC wanted to procure six container vessels, one mother oil tanker and eight other ships for multipurpose use.
The plan was submitted to the higher authorities in 1995 and as per plan the ships were supposed to be procured in phases from 1996 to 2005,sources said. As most of the vessels were sold out due to worn out condition. But those were not replaced with new ones, sources concerned said adding that fleet of BSC slimmed gradually.
The plan for procuring ships to strengthen the BSC fleet could not see the light of the day as it caught in red tape.
BSC incurred huge loss due to operational costs and overhead expenditure from its inception, sources said.
But an official at BSC said it has been making profit for the past two years. He said it profits Tk 20.18 crore in the fiscal year 2002-2003.
Besides, the BSC run its feeder service between Chittagong and Singapore on profit, he added. Three vessels including a container ship, were pressed into feeder service between Chittagong and Singapore route.
BSC ships also operate on Myanmar, India, Pakistan, the Uk and the Middle East routes, sources said.
BSC suspended its operation of vessels on American route due to non-availability of cargo, sources added.
Meanwhile, BSC authorities dropped its plan to allow eight of its vessels to run under private management.