Waterways must not be crime hotspots
We are shocked by the brutal murder of seven crew members aboard a cargo vessel in Chandpur that has left ship workers fearing for their lives. This tragic incident has once again turned the spotlight on the dangers lurking in our waterways as well as the many inadequacies in the sector, which must be addressed.
Reportedly, the tragedy occurred when eight crew members on the bulk carrier MV Al-Bakhera came under attack in Meghna River on Monday. Five died on the spot due to injuries inflicted by sharp weapons, while two succumbed after being taken to hospital. Only one survived and is under treatment. Grieving families, along with several workers' associations, have since demanded justice—and rightly so—as without accountability, such heinous crimes will continue to haunt our waterways.
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There has been much speculation about the motive behind the killings. Law enforcers and ship staff noted that little was stolen from it, ruling out robbery as the primary cause. Meanwhile, Rab has arrested a crew member named Akash Mondal Irfan who, according to Rab, admitted to killing his colleagues out of frustration over unpaid wages and mistreatment. He allegedly sedated the victims with food laced with sleeping pills before stabbing them to death. This is an important lead, but further investigations are necessary to rule out all other possibilities and ensure credible trials.
While this incident may appear to stem from personal vendetta, ship workers have long raised concerns about the perils they face. A shipmaster has pointed out that this particular Meghna area is notorious for extortion. Non-compliance, in the absence of proper oversight, also leads to accidents. While waterways remain a popular option for transporting cargo in the country, extortions and robberies serve as a huge disincentive for the thousands of registered vessels.
A report by Samakal report identified Narayanganj, Hatia, Bhola, Kishoreganj, and Sylhet as high-risk areas, noting that transporting cargo from Sylhet to Chandpur often requires paying Tk 20,000–30,000 in extortion fees. Besides, in the last three months, there have been five reported robberies. Moreover, one labour association leader claimed that filing police cases is an issue as officers often dismiss incidents as outside their jurisdiction. Such negligence only emboldens criminals.
These issues need to be resolved. For now, we must demand proper compensation for the families of the victims of the Chandpur incident, many of whom were sole breadwinners. The financial assistance provided so far—Tk 20,000 from the district administration and Tk 10,000 from the River Police—is grossly inadequate. The government must step up in this regard, offer meaningful financial support, ensure swift punishment of the perpetrators, and work to eradicate crime from our waterways. Our rivers must not be crime hotspots.
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