Bangladesh has detained a fertilizer-laden Indian ship after a court issued a warrant ordering authorities not to allow its departure until a Rs12 crore admiralty suit was settled, officials said.
"We have received the (high court) order. But the ship was detained beforehand for safety reasons as it developed cracks over two months ago as it was anchored at the outer anchorage of the port," an official of the Chittagong Port Authority said.
Deputy port conservator Captain Nazrul Alam said under the port conventions, no vessels with major technical faults like cracks were allowed to leave the port until it regained fitness for sea voyages.
The Indian flag career MV Ocean Pearl was faced with the admiralty suit filed by the supplier of the cargo on board claiming a compensation of over Taka 19 crore (Rs 12 crore) for alleged loss of some cargo while the court order was issued on Thursday.
'MV Ocean Pearl' was detained after the arrest order was issued by the High Court on Thursday, a senior customs official was quoted as saying by 'New Age' earlier.
"The ship cannot depart from Chittagong port until the case is settled," he said.
Supplier of the cargo Desh Trading Corporation filed the admiralty suit claiming the compensation for the lost fertilizer as the ship developed the cracks while the state-run Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation was importing the crucial aquaculture inputs from China.
The ship was carrying 13,000 tonnes of fertilizer to be unloaded at the northeastern Chittagong and northwestern Mongla ports but the process was stalled as it was exposed to the trouble after part of the consignments near Patenga outer anchorage in Chittagong.
The department of environment in Chittagong on Thursday served a show cause notice to Sigma Shipping Ltd, the local agent of the ship Sigma Shipping, for spilling oil along the coastline demanding an explanation by December 28 why it would not face legal actions for the pollution.
