For the first time since the start of the war in the Middle East, the tanker ‘MT Xiu Chi’ has arrived at the Chattogram Port Jetty carrying 27,004 tons of diesel. This diesel was imported by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) from Singapore.
Four more diesel tankers will arrive within the next week. These tankers carry 147,005 tons of diesels.
Another diesel tanker ‘Lian Huan Hu’ is scheduled to arrive from Singapore tonight. It carries about 30,000 tons of diesels.
‘SPT Themis’ is scheduled to arrive at the port on Thursday. It carries 30,484 tons of diesels, while the tanker ‘Raffles Samurai’ is scheduled to arrive next Saturday. The tanker named ‘Chang Hang Hong Tu’ is scheduled to arrive at the port at the same time. These two contain about 30,000 tons of diesels each.
According to the source, from July to February of the current fiscal year, 2.328 million tons of diesels were imported from nine countries. Of this, 78 percent was imported from Singapore, Malaysia and India. No diesel was imported from Middle Eastern countries.
The Chattogram Port Authority's coordination meeting on uninterrupted supply chain and bunkering of fuel oil said that to further accelerate the fuel supply system, all government and private sector needs will be assessed in a coordinated manner and fuel-carrying ships will be given berthing facilities on a special priority basis at Chattogram Port. The overall operational activities of the port, including all logistical support, remain uninterrupted as before. Law enforcement agencies have been requested to cooperate in matters related to overall security of all ships at outer anchorages, including fuel security.
Since most of the bunkering and related fuel supply sources of ships arriving at Chattogram Port are centered in Singapore and Malaysia, the impact of global geopolitical instability is negligible here.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
