No Bangladeshi vessel has been found fit for coastal shipping with India. This may lead to a delayed trial-run of the service in November, official sources say.
The Department of Shipping (DoS) had planned launch of trial-run of the service by October but now thinks that it may be delayed until next month due to the lack of fit vessels, they further say.
Despite relaxation by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) of many conditions for Bangladeshi vessels, none of the 18 private sector vessels on a list, forwarded by the Bangladesh Coastal Ship Owners Association (COAB) to the Indian authority, could comply with the same.
Failing to get any fit vessel from the private sector, the DoS has now requested the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to send documents of container vessels of the Chittagong-Pangaon route for assessment of their fitness for trial-run under the Bangladesh-India coastal shipping service.
To ply in the coast, the vessels have to conform to the River Seal Vessel Type IV (RSV-IV) in accordance with the circular of the Indian Directorate General of Shipping.
The vessels should have coverage of third party liability insurance and have coastal master, coastal mate, coastal chief engineer, coastal second engineer or officials and seafarers in accordance with the convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).
The DoS requested the CPA to send registration, class, insurance and manning certificates of the vessels to check whether those are fit for the service.
DoS director general Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan told the FE none of the Bangladeshi private sector vessels could comply with the IRS standard, though the Indian authority relaxed conditions in many cases.
"Our ships do not maintain class and none is fit for long voyage through coastal routes," he said.
Replying to a query, he said vessels of Chittagong-Pangaon route were yet to get registration but, "I heard those are class ships." "One of those may be found fit for the service," he hoped.
However, a senior government official told the FE the vessels of Chittagong-Pangaon route have neither registration from any classification society nor from the concerned department of the government of Bangladesh.
He said these vessels might not be allowed by the Indian authority for the service.
Elaborating about the standard of those ships, the official said, these old vessels were bought from China and during the last 8/9 months some Tk 12 million had already been spent as their operation and maintenance cost.
These vessels made only six trips on the Chittagong-Pangaon route. In most cases, those were half-loaded. "But, since those are old vessels, their maintenance cost has already been found to be very high," he added.
Earlier, the DoS chief also discussed with the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) the possibility of being involved in Bangladesh-India coastal trade through providing their ships for the service.
However, the BSC managing director has put forward some conditions to be engaged in the coastal trade.
An official said most of the Bangladeshi coastal vessels have no insurance coverage from P&I Club or registration from any classification society.
The coastal shipping service is considered as the low-cost and easiest way to transport goods between the two countries.
According to a study of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), once coastal ships start plying, trade imbalance between Bangladesh and India will come down by US$1.0 billion.
The coastal shipping service will use three Bangladeshi and four Indian ports. The three Bangladeshi ports are Chittagong, Mongla and newly-built Payra. The Indian ports are Paradip in Orissa, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Haldia in Paschimbanga and Kakinada port near Chennai.
   syful-islam@outlook.com
No BD vessel found fit for coastal shipping with India
Syful Islam | Published: October 11, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
Share if you like