The Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has decided to dispose of its two fire-damaged oil tankers, "Banglar Shourabh" and "Banglar Jyoti", for Tk 50.56 crore, including value-added tax (VAT) and taxes.

The amount was offered by Chattogram-based shipbreaker Master & Brothers, the highest bidder in an international tender.

The decision was made at the 323rd (special) meeting of the BSC Board of Directors, held at the Shipping Ministry on Tuesday.

BSC issued an international tender in this regard on December 5 last year, with January 6 of 2025 as the last date for submission.

BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek told The Daily that some 16 companies participated in the tender process, 15 of which were responsive.

Master & Brothers submitted the highest bid of Tk 50.56 crore, including VAT and taxes, while the original offered price stood at Tk 40.44 crore. "The decision was made to sell the two oil tankers as scrap to the highest bidder," said the BSC MD.

The tankers, which are set to be sold to the shipbreaker, were built in Denmark in 1987 and were customised specifically for ship-to-ship fuel transfer operations at sea.

These tankers had been engaged in lightering crude oil imported by Eastern Refinery Limited. They transferred oil from larger tankers anchored at the outer anchorage to the port's dolphin jetty for unloading at the refinery's facilities.

Banglar Jyoti was damaged in a fire caused by an explosion on September 30 last year while unloading fuel at the port's dolphin jetty, resulting in the deaths of three individuals onboard.

Banglar Shourabh sustained fire damage on October 5 last year after completing a ship-to-ship fuel transfer at the port's outer anchorage, resulting in one fatality.

Although both ships became unfit for operation by 2015, BSC continued using them due to its inability to purchase replacements, according to merchant mariners.

Following the sale of the tankers, the state-owned shipping company will have five ships, built in 2018 and 2019 by China, according to its latest annual report.