BSS, Dhaka :
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has purchased six foreign-made ships at a cost of Taka 1,450 crore.
“These ships would be used for commercial purpose including loading of public goods,” Commodore Maksudul Quader, managing director of BSC, told BSS.
Quader said of the ships, three are oil tankers and the rest three bulk carriers.
As per the agreement with China, Bangladesh will get those in 2016.
Earlier on April 30 this year, Shipping Ministry signed the agreement with a Chinese company named China National Machinery Impo and Expo Corporation (CMC).
On the purchasing of new ships, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said the ministry purchased the ships as the BSC has few ships.
“We will not have to depend on foreign ships for commercial purpose. Bangladesh’s businessmen will be able to hire those ships at cheap rates,” Khan said.
Since its inception in 1972, the BSC had purchased 38 ships and many of them were sold out for various purposes as few became 30-year old and non-profitable.
Now the BSC has only eight ships in its fleet.
Commodore Maksudul Quader said the BSC could not purchase any ship during the last 25 years.
“We procured the ships for the sake of survival of the shipping corporation,” he said.
