The neglect that has been shown over the years to this organization is very regrettable particularly in the perspective of what great gains would accrue to the economy if the country�s own ships could carry the greater part of its export and import cargoes

The sinking Bangladesh Shipping Corporation

Unless the ministry of shipping takes the right measures to stop organisational malfeasance and unbridled corruption with a vision to turn the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), a national flagship organisation, a viable entity, we are afraid it will be a great losing concern like the Biman Bangladesh Airlines, another greatly distressed national flagship. According to a recent report of a vernacular daily, in the 2013-14 financial year, the BSC has only earned Tk 3.36 crore, with its income in that year Tk 170.11 crore and expenditure Tk 166.75 crore.
By now the corporation probably has already become a losing organisation. But over the years, it could have been a competitive organisation to carry our export and import cargoes like the neighbouring countries including India and Pakistan. Currently the eight ships that make up the BSC’s fleet are all old and unfit vessels---they are on an average more than 30 years old---and they are not allowed to be operated at ports of various countries.
But the fact of the matter is when the BSC was founded in 1972, it had 39 ships in its fleet. As the country’s import and export business greatly increased over the past decades, the BSC should have been a large profit-making organisation. According to the report, though a plan was taken up long ago to buy six ships from China, the plan has not  materialised as yet. While an oil tanker that is in the process of procurement now with a huge price, Tk 156 crore and 11 lakh, is an old vessel of about one decade ago.
All these are indicative of the reality that there is a lack of seriousness among the relevant people to increase the size of its fleet removing corruption that has already made it an organisation that now exists largely in name. Had that not been the case, during the last seven years it could introduce 21 new ships that were supposed to be procured according to a master plan in line with government’s “Vision 21” and start their operation in Singapore, Malaysia, Colombo, America, Japan as well as the European countries where operation of our ships is now prohibited for the reasons already mentioned.
Now to conserve  huge foreign currencies which are spent on using ships of other countries with their fluctuating charges which we have no choice but to pay for carrying our cargoes as well as making it a viable profit-making entity, the concerned policy makers at the ministry of shipping have to seriously think of rescuing the sinking BSC. This is for own economy’s sake. The neglect that has been shown over the years to this organization is very regrettable particularly in the perspective of what great gains would accrue to the economy if  the country’s own ships could carry the greater part of its export and import cargoes.

The neglect that has been shown over the years to this organization is very regrettable particularly in the perspective of what great gains would accrue to the economy if the country�s own ships could carry the greater part of its export and import cargoes

The sinking Bangladesh Shipping Corporation

Unless the ministry of shipping takes the right measures to stop organisational malfeasance and unbridled corruption with a vision to turn the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), a national flagship organisation, a viable entity, we are afraid it will be a great losing concern like the Biman Bangladesh Airlines, another greatly distressed national flagship. According to a recent report of a vernacular daily, in the 2013-14 financial year, the BSC has only earned Tk 3.36 crore, with its income in that year Tk 170.11 crore and expenditure Tk 166.75 crore. By now the corporation probably has already become a losing organisation. But over the years, it could have been a competitive organisation to carry our export and import cargoes like the neighbouring countries including India and Pakistan. Currently the eight ships that make up the BSCs fleet are all old and unfit vessels---they are on an average more than 30 years old---and they are not allowed to be operated at ports of various countries. But the fact of the matter is when the BSC was founded in 1972, it had 39 ships in its fleet. As the countrys import and export business greatly increased over the past decades, the BSC should have been a large profit-making organisation. According to the report, though a plan was taken up long ago to buy six ships from China, the plan has not materialised as yet. While an oil tanker that is in the process of procurement now with a huge price, Tk 156 crore and 11 lakh, is an old vessel of about one decade ago. All these are indicative of the reality that there is a lack of seriousness among the relevant people to increase the size of its fleet removing corruption that has already made it an organisation that now exists largely in name. Had that not been the case, during the last seven years it could introduce 21 new ships that were supposed to be procured according to a master plan in line with governments Vision 21 and start their operation in Singapore, Malaysia, Colombo, America, Japan as well as the European countries where operation of our ships is now prohibited for the reasons already mentioned. Now to conserve huge foreign currencies which are spent on using ships of other countries with their fluctuating charges which we have no choice but to pay for carrying our cargoes as well as making it a viable profit-making entity, the concerned policy makers at the ministry of shipping have to seriously think of rescuing the sinking BSC. This is for own economys sake. The neglect that has been shown over the years to this organization is very regrettable particularly in the perspective of what great gains would accrue to the economy if the countrys own ships could carry the greater part of its export and import cargoes.