A major controversy has erupted over the Matarbari Power Plant coal shipment as authorities discovered excessive soil mixed with the imported coal.
The consignment was discovered to contain low-grade, soil-mixed coal from an Indian vendor, despite the initial contract being for high-quality Indonesian coal. As a result, unloading has been immediately stopped, and the ship has been moved to the outside anchorage. There will be a high-level government meeting on March 23 as a result of the issue’s considerable concern. The Matarbari Coal Power Project’s Executive Director attested to the fact that they had formally rejected the shipment and informed the supplier.
The MV Orient Orchid, a Singapore-flagged vessel, arrived on March 17 with 63,000 tons of coal worth approximately Tk 1,000 crore. However, as unloading began, authorities found more soil than coal, repeatedly causing conveyor belt failures. Despite efforts, only 22,350 tons could be unloaded before operations were suspended. This coal quality scandal raises serious questions about supplier accountability and power plant fuel standards in Bangladesh.
