The collision involving MV.Banga Biraj and the Eagle Strength at Karnaphuli channel on September 21 looks like a typical case of equipment failure or even an act of God. Whether it could or could not have been prevented is for the investigators to find out. However, the damages sustained by the naval vessels and personnel are part of a reality and it does not take the wisdom of a seasoned mariner to say that there was some negligence of the authority, which was compounded by the lack of seamanship skill and an inability to fan off dangers. The dereliction of responsibility is very much evident in this instance.

The very first question that comes to my mind is, why the naval ships in a busy shipping route (where the currents run at 4-5 knots) are moored double, sometimes triple? Doen't the authority realise that any domino effect can knock them off in a single blow? The tradition and the method are like boats tied at the river bank on a market day. If one is hit, it hits the next and the next and so on and so forth. A chain action creates the domino effect to damage everything around.

An earlier accident occurred when a merchant ship, Eagle Breeze (not the same owner), inflicted serious damages to warships moored at the same place during the 1990 cyclone. It almost crippled the fleet. Later, enquiry committees were set up, volumes of recommendations made and the then naval chief and Commodore Commanding of the Chittagong base lost their jobs. That's all, nothing beyond had happened so far.

Fact is, the BNS Issa Khan is as unsafe today as it was then. The latest accident proves that we haven't learnt our lessons from the past disasters. Why should our war vessels should be moored so close to merchant vessels. Doesn't it compromise the security and privacy relating to our armed forces' capability?

Due to the reasons outlined herein, the present fleet mooring positions of the navy needs to be shifted to a safer and more secure location:

1. It is located down stream of the main shipping route to Chittagong Port Authority's dry cargo/container jetties. Every vessel passing the fleet is a potential threat to the naval fleet moored there.

2. The merchant ships berthing at Cement Clinker Jetty and the Grain Silo Jetty can loose control and overwhelm the naval fleet moored up stream.

3. The entire fleet moored at its current location has its broad side open, hence vulnerable to attacks from unsuspected enemy or terrorist from the midstream or the other bank.

4. Almost 90 per cent of the country's ships are moored in Chittagong. Putting all the eggs in one basket can result in a situation that we loose everything either by accident, disaster or enemy and saboteurs; actions.

Therefore, it is time that our naval brass got down to serious action to immediately relocate the fleet mooring to a better, safer and more secure position. We understand that the fleet personnel will be deprived from a comfortable urban location, but then, uniform service is not meant for comfort and warships meant for country's defence are not meant for damages due negligence or incompetence.

Let this be put on record for future reference that, unless the naval fleet mooring is relocated and the merchant ships continue to berth at Chittagong port's dry cargo and container jetties, such accidents will keep recurring.