Chittagong, Oct 05 (V7N)- Two oil tanker fires have occurred at Chattogram Port within just five days, prompting the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) to suspect possible sabotage aimed at jeopardizing the country's energy security.

At a press conference held on Saturday, October 5, Commodore Mahmudul Malek, Managing Director of BSC, expressed concerns about the incidents. "We believe these acts are intended to undermine the nation’s energy security," he stated.

On Friday, a fire broke out aboard the oil tanker MT Banglar Sourav at Chattogram’s outer anchorage around 12:50 PM. The tanker, which was scheduled to dock at the port on Saturday morning, was being used by BSC for transferring oil from larger ships. Tragically, one crew member, Sadeq Mia (59), from Noakhali, lost his life after jumping into the sea to escape the flames. Despite rescue efforts by the Coast Guard and Navy, Sadeq succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital. Fortunately, 47 other crew members and staff were successfully rescued.

This incident follows another devastating fire on Monday, when an explosion aboard the MT Banglar Jyoti at Chattogram Port’s Dolphin Oil Jetty caused a deadly fire, resulting in three fatalities.

Addressing the recent events, Commodore Malek mentioned that after the Banglar Jyoti explosion, authorities had already considered the possibility of sabotage and took precautionary measures, including conducting a fire drill on Banglar Sourav. Importantly, there was no ongoing repair work on Banglar Sourav at the time of the incident.

Adding to the suspicion, Malek noted that shortly before the fire, a small vessel was seen speeding past the tanker, followed by sparks at four separate spots on the ship. "Given the way the fire ignited, we cannot rule out sabotage," he added. In response, an eight-member investigation committee has been formed to probe the cause of the fires.

These back-to-back fires have claimed four lives in just five days, raising concerns over the safety and security of Bangladesh’s oil transportation sector.

END/ABZ/AJ