Bangladesh
Banglar Samriddhi Bangladeshi ship currently harboured in Ukraine faces uncertain future
Dhaka, March 13, 2022: The ship 'Banglar Samriddhi' was damaged in a rocket attack while anchored in the Ukrainian port of Olvia. Currently, there is uncertainty about the future of this ship.
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), the owner of the ship, has sent a demand letter to the insurance company at the initial stage. However, the BSC thinks that the insurance company will not be able to assess the extent of the damage to the ship or what to do before the stalemate caused by the Russia-Ukraine war ends. As a result, it is not possible to come to any decision about the ship.
Two things are being considered at the moment. One is to repair the ship and make it usable. The other is to claim insurance directly from the insurance company. However, the emphasis is on the direction in which BSc will benefit.
According to the relevant sources, 'Prosperity of Bengal' was being leased under the Danish company Delta Corporation. The ship sailed from Mumbai, India on 22 February via Turkey to the Ukrainian port of Olvia. The raw material for making cement (clay) from Olvia was scheduled to leave for the Italian port of Ravenna on 24 February.
But before that the Russia-Ukraine war started. As a result, the ship with 29 crew members got stuck in the port of Olvia. Later on March 2, he was attacked by a rocket. Mohammad Hadisur Rahman, the ship's third engineer, was killed. The next day, March 3, the ship's other 26 sailors were evacuated unharmed. They arrived in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, on March 7 at noon. On March 9, the sailors returned to Dhaka via Istanbul on a Turkish Air flight.
According to BSC sources, at the end of 2016, Bangladesh bought the cargo ship from the Chinese manufacturer Jiangsu New Yanji Shipbuilding Company for কোটি 26.3 million. The current price of the ship is two crore 25 lakh dollars. This is to insure the general insurance corporation of Bangladesh and the electricity group Lloyds of London in the UK insurance market.
The insurance claim will be determined on the current price of the ship as per the terms of the contract with the insurance company. BSC officials said that all the ships owned by the Shipping Corporation have war risk coverage like the 'Prosperity of Bengal' ship.
