In Bangladesh, no mode of transportation is genuinely safe, whether by road, train, or sea. In most nations, train travel is considered safe, but in Bangladesh, passengers confront significant risks. Traveling the road is like holding one’s life in one’s hands. Although expressways are thought to be safe, a number of recent accidents have called this into question.
In Bangladesh, no mode: Seven individuals were murdered aboard a ship in the Meghna River in Ishanbala, Haimchar Upazila, Chandpur, a few days ago. Investigations revealed that there was no external involvement in the incident. Akash Mondal, a detained ship crew member, admitted to perpetrating the murders out of rage and hatred. The occurrence was very tragic.
On waterways, collisions involving cargo ships and other vessels, as well as natural disasters, frequently result in the deaths of passengers and crew. Additionally, extortion and piracy are common in the waterways, often resulting in fatalities.
Robbery and extortion on cargo vessels have increased in recent months in the waterways that go from the Meghna to the Padma and Shitalakshya Rivers to the Buriganga. In the last four months, the Bulkhead Owners’ Association of Shariatpur and Chandpur districts recorded at least 32 incidences of robbery on canals in various sites across the two districts.
Workers have reportedly reported frequent extortion at several sites along the canals in Chandpur, Shariatpur, Munshiganj, and Narayanganj. The Meghna and Padma Rivers carry cargo and passenger watercraft between Chattogram, the southern areas, and diverse districts such as Dhaka and Narayanganj. These waterways contain numerous islands and submerged sandbanks where criminals might hide and conduct nighttime attacks. They hold the drivers and staff hostage in order to perpetrate robberies.
The situation has deteriorated to the point where vessel owners have opted not to deploy ships into the river at night beginning December 1 due to concerns about robberies and criminals. The robbers strike whenever they see a ship anchored. Harun ar Rashid, General Secretary of the Chandpur Inland Vessel Owners’ Cooperative Association, stated, “The attackers arrive in boats and speedboats disguised as fisherman and board the vessels. We are not bringing complaints because of the harassment and the threat of further attacks.”
Chandpur Region’s Superintendent of Police, Mushfiqur Rahman, stated that nine police stations and outposts of the river police in the region are working to stop robberies and attacks on vessels. However, vessel owners are unlikely to feel reassured by this statement. It’s not just the southern region; workers on vessels in other parts of the country are also living in fear and insecurity.
When river movement is interrupted at night, it is difficult to convey commodities to remote regions. If the robbers do not collect the money, they attack the workers—whether this concerns the authorities is unclear, but it causes panic among everyone involved in river transportation. If poor workers aboard these ships are injured in an attack by thieves or extortionists, they will be left with no one to care for their families. Furthermore, there is the issue of insuring the safety of the owners’ property.
To combat piracy and extortion on waterways, river police and municipal police must coordinate their efforts. Required vessels and river police personnel must be dispatched. The authorities must enhance patrols, particularly on remote and risky rivers. The public demand a safe and risk-free canal.
In Bangladesh, no mode….
