BSC-CPA row over detection of crude

The decision was taken with a view to ending the row over it between BSC and CPA, the officials said.

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) probe committee detected 1000 tonnes of crude in the ballast water tank of the MT Banglar Sourav recently.

"The crude will be handed over to ERL with the permission of port magistrate for processing and use of it," said Kamrul Hossain, CPA deputy conservator and member (operation).

"ERL will segregate the crude from ballast water and refine it after further measurement," Kamrul said.

The oil tanker mysteriously retained such a bulk quantity of crude while carrying imported crude by a lightering vessel from a mother tanker at the outer sea to ERL. It was detected during an investigation into the incident of oil spillage at port channel from the same ship that triggered a stormy situation for BSC, sources said.

There was a suspicion that the crude was kept concealed in the tanker with an intention of 'pilferage', port sources said.

But BSC officials claimed that it was a common phenomenon as the crude remained in the tanker as residue at the time of carrying huge crude cargo. They denied any scope of pilferage.

Meanwhile, the two-member CPA committee on Saturday submitted the report on the incident of oil spillage to deputy conservator and member (operation) Kamrul Hossain.

"I have received the report and it will be forwarded to our magistrate's court soon for legal action against the BSC vessel as the probe body committee has got the evidences of oil spillage and identified causes behind it," Kamrul said.

Quoting the probe report, he said, "damage of rubber packing of hydraulic valves in the supply line of the oil tanker and development of rust over them due to lack of maintenance for a long time caused the oil spillage."

The probe report also suggested immediate repairing of the old tanker before pressing it into further operation, he said.

CPA Assistant Harbour Master Faridul Alam led the probe committee.

CPA magistrate Munir Chowdhury said, "I will initiate the legal proceeding against the tanker on receipt of the probe committee reports."