A light local vessel, MV Brishti, laden with 9500t of clinker imports capsized in the Bay of Bengal near Patenga beach in Chittagong, Bangladesh following a collision with the sunken ship MV Rita on 12 June. The clinker was imported by local cement company Diamond Cement for use in its production plant and was heading to Diamond's private jetty on the Karnaphuli river after unloading from the bulk carrier, Xing Peng Da at outer anchorage.
Due to the port congestion at Chittagong or in case of larger vessels, importers often use lighter vessels to transport cargo from sea to shore.
In FY13, Bangladesh imported US$487m in clinker compared to US$504m the year prior, representing a 3.4 per cent fall. The country imports clinker mainly from China, Indonesia and Thailand.
