Despite measures having been taken by the authorities, incidents of piracy and attack on seamen of cargo trawlers and engine boats are on the rise.
Crew, boatmen, fishermen, and owners of cargo trawlers and engine boats no longer feel safe in the water territory of Bangladesh, as they are being attacked by pirates in the offshore areas. The worst affected are fishermen who are afraid to venture out into the sea.
Sources said at least 40 fishermen were killed in a pirate attack in the Kutubdia channel area of the Bay of Bengal on April 1. The Bangladesh Navy (BN) and the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) have recovered the bodies of the victims.
Recently, the BCG, BN, and the Water Transport Monitoring Cell (WTMC) have taken special measures to control the piracy on the inland waterways.
The BCG has already started special drives on the waterways as well as in the coastal areas.
“We’ve intensified patrolling on the sea and the inland waterways. One ship and two speedboats are continuously patrolling the outer anchorage of the Bay of Bengal. Several ships and speedboats have also been deployed to catch pirates,” said a senior BCG official.
Four fishermen were rescued from a gang of pirates after a one-hour-long gun fight in Chaprakhali of Bagerhat on July 12. The rescued fishermen are: Babul Hossain (20), Md Jakir Khan (27), Md Shah Alam (35) and MD Jafar Meah (42).
According to the sources, a BCG team raided the pirates’ den in Dublar Char area of Sharonkhola thana in Bagerhat and discovered that four fishermen were being kept hostages there. After a prolonged gunfight, the pirates fled the spot, leaving the abducted fishermen behind. Two shot guns, eight DBBL guns, five rounds of bullets, mobile phones and ammunition were also recovered from the den.
On July 1, the BCG had rescued 10 fishermen from Kalam Char area at the Hatia offshore island.
On June 5, a pirate was killed in an accident at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong Port. He was allegedly trying to loot ropes from the stationed ships. BCG commander East Zone Md Atikur Rahman told reporters that they had recovered the body of the victim.
The government is going to strength vigilance on the waterways, especially in the coastal areas and at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong port with a view to curbing piracy. The authorities concerned, including the BN, BCG, WTMC, and the Bangladesh Cargo Trawlers Owners Association are taking security measures to resist piracy.
The government has allowed ocean-going ships to take the BCG’s protection if they feel it necessary.
A joint meeting of the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Chittagong port, BCG, BN, shipping department and other organisations and stakeholders here recently decided to form a committee to determine waht is to be done to check piracy in the Chittagong coastal area and at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong port.
-With The Independent input
