Safety measures at Chattogram port, the main seaport that deals with about 90 percent of the country’s total maritime trade, are inadequate. Besides, recent installation of several private Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants has intensified the accident risk in the port area, where a total of 13 Key Point Installations (KPIs) are located. Experts question the safety and security measures for those KPIs.
According to sources, all those KPIs came under security threat through the moves to allow two foreign companies to import gas and convert gas to LNG by using the jetties of two fertilizer factories at Chhatogram. According to sources, those two foreign companies- PSA International Pte Ltd and Svitzer--are about to get the contracts without any feasibility study. The companies are also going to install floating gas storage occupying 80 metres of the port. They also have occupied a large portion of the navigational channel of River Karnafuli narrowing down the main channel.
Those 13 KPIs in and around the port area include Chattogram Port, a naval base of Bangladesh Navy, an Air base of Bangladesh Air Force, Shah Amanat International Airport, 3 state oil companies- Padma, Meghna and Jamuna, three fertilizer factories--Chattogram Urea Fertilizer Company Ltd (CUFL) and Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Ltd (KAFCO), DAP Fertilizer Company Ltd and an oil refinery installation.
According to experts, the Chattogram airport, marine drive, oil refinery tanks and at least 30 percent of the port might be destroyed if any of the oil-ships explodes accidentally or any gas explosion takes place in the port area. Apart from the loss of life of a large number of people, and such an explosion could spell severe disaster for the economy. Experts say, LNG is considered the red category explosive, and accordingly, the LNG carrying ships are also considered red category. A slight spark could lead to a severe explosion, they said.
Under the circumstances, as experts say, to save the port and all those 13 KPIs, stopping corruption of a section of port officials, who are permitting the companies to get facilities illegally, is a must. It is known that vested quarters are hatching multi-faced conspiracies against the Chattogram port ignoring the interest of the country. As part of the conspiracies, the port is turning into one of the riskiest ports in the world. The ecosystem of River Karnafuli is also at severe risk. Severe disaster at the seaport is not occurring just for our good luck, say experts.
Talking to Bangladesh Post, authorities of the Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD) and the Department of Explosives said, arrangements and preparations for the safety of all the KPIs are not enough. More things will have to be done to ensure all out safety in these areas, they added. They said, they asked to be updated with modern equipment, apart from the installation of a full-fledged class one fire station in the area.
Md. Shamsul Alam, Chief Inspector of Explosives, said, they have not enough manpower and infrastructural facilities. Officials of the Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram also expressed concern over the security and safety of the airport.
After a major fire broke out in 2013 at the main establishment of the Jamuna Oil Company leaving nine employees injured, decision to adopt fresh safety measures for the oil companies was made. The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) decided to install a full-fledged fire station equipped with modern equipment in the area. But it could not be possible for the lack of space. Gias Uddin Ansary, Managing Director of Jamuna Oil Company Limited, told Bangladesh Post, “It requires a huge fund to take necessary measures as well as to avoid fire risks.
He said, a decision has been made to install a full-fledged fire station with a joint fund of all petroleum, gas production and marketing companies of BPC in the areas. A body has also been formed to find out a suitable place to establish the special unit of fire service for oil and gas sector,” he said. Engineer Gopinath Banik, Director (Technical and Engineering) of the port, told Bangladesh Post, every factory has been maintaining their own fire safety unit, which is not sufficient.
