Dhaka, 06 October 2024: On the night of 04 October 2024 a massive fire broke out on oil tanker owned by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation named ‘MT BANGLAR SAURABH’ in the outer harbor of Chattogram port. After nearly four hours of effort, three specialized navy Tugboats, four Coast Guard and port authority Tugboats expertly controlled the fire. Out of the 48 crew members on the vessel, 47 were rescued alive, but one person died on scene. Several injured individuals were taken to the Navy Hospital BNS Patenga for treatment.
In a similar incident five days earlier, another vessel ‘MT Banglar Jyoti’ owned by Bangladesh Shipping Corporation was damaged by an explosion at Dock No. 7 of port, leading to the deaths of three people. Upon receiving the news of the fire, several special fire-fighting Tugboats of the Bangladesh Navy rushed to the scene, along with Coast Guard, several Tugboats from the port of Chattogram and few units of the Fire Service. Senior officials of Bangladesh Navy led the efforts to control the fire on-site. The combined swift actions of Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, Fire Service, Chattogram port, and Bangladesh Shipping Corporation not only managed to quickly control the fire but also successfully rescued the remaining crew members alive.
These swift and coordinated efforts helped prevent major disasters and significant losses of life. The prompt action also averted the potential spread of crude oil, which could have severely impacted the biodiversity of the Karnaphuli River and the Bay of Bengal. A successful firefighting effort prevented adverse economic impacts, including disruptions to the country’s main commercial port operations.
This success is attributed to the placement of skilled officers from the Bangladesh Navy in key positions in the maritime sector. Their able and skilled leadership ensured a coordinated effort, preventing a major disaster and saving thousands of lives. Bangladesh Navy continues to fulfill all responsibilities in dealing with any national disaster and this will persist in the future.
