Yunus lauds BSC; it repays government Tk 4.75b

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday hailed Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) for setting examples for others by continuing to make a profit.

“They are examples for state-owned companies,” he said.

The Chief Adviser made the remark when BSC handed him over a cheque of TK 4.75 billion (Tk 475.25 crore) as installment of a loan the organisation obtained from the government and China Exim Bank in 2016.

BSC took the loan to purchase six ships, including three bulk carriers, at a cost of over Tk 14.57 billion (Tk 1,457 crore), according to the chief adviser’s press wing.

The loan deal enabled BSC to add six commercial ships to its fleet for the first time in 27 years in 2018-2019.

Five of these ships are now carrying goods across different oceans using the Bangladesh flag.

BSC is supposed to repay the government Tk 24.25 billion (Tk 2,425 crore) as the amount of the loan and interest in several installments over a period of 13 years.

The adviser for the Shipping Ministry, M Sakhawat Hussain, shipping secretary Mohammad Yousuf, and BSC managing director, Commodore Mahmudul Malek, were present on the occasion.