Sailors cry for steps as robbers rule Meghna

Robbery attacks in the Meghna River have surged since December last year, leaving sailors and crew members anxious about their safety.

Two or three lighter ships are reportedly being looted every night, and crew members and sailors are injured by the robbers.

At least, 25 sailors and crew members from different ships have sustained injuries in these attacks from last December to early January, according to the Bangladesh Marine Workers Welfare Federation, the Bangladesh Lighter Ship Workers' Union, and several sailors.

In response to this escalating threat, the Bangladesh Lighter Ship Workers' Union sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs on 16 January.

Simultaneously, the Bangladesh Marine Workers Welfare Federation turned to social media, posting on Facebook to gather information and create a comprehensive database of robbery incidents in the past month.

The response from sailors and masters was significant, revealing that at least 25 robbery incidents occurred within the last month on the Meghna River.

Sailors provided firsthand accounts of these incidents, sharing harrowing experiences. According to the information provided, the highest number of robberies occurred in river areas between Chandpur, Lakshmipur, and Bhola districts.

Specifically, workers described at least 10 robbery incidents in Chandpur's Majher Char area.

One such account came from Ariful Islam, a crew member of the MV Pride of Khanjahan Ali-4, a lighter ship. On 11 January, while en route from Chattogram to Dhaka, their ship was attacked by about 25 robbers carrying firearms and domestic sharp weapons. The robbers seized Tk32,000 in cash, sailors' mobile phones, ship oil, clothes, groceries, and GPS devices.

Similar stories were recounted by Al Amin, the master of the MV Prince of Ishan ship, and Mejbah Uddin, a sailor of the MV Al Mustafa-2, detailing attacks on their ships.

Expressing their fear, Md Mizanur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Lighter Ship Workers' Union, said, "We can no longer trust the local administration. So, on behalf of our organisation, we have appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs. If the waterway is not made safe, we will go on strike."

Md Shah Alam Bhuiyan, president of the Bangladesh Marine Workers Federation, echoed the concerns, emphasising the need for urgent action. He mentioned that despite having three naval police units in the Munshiganj's Muktarpur area, robbers incidents continue to occur.

The federation is collecting information nationwide and plans to inform the home ministry in writing. If sailors do not receive adequate security, the movement of ships will be halted, he added.

Shafiqul Islam, additional deputy inspector general of River Police, told The Business Standard, "We have not received any official complaint regarding recent robbery incidents. Once we get the complaint, we will surely not overlook it and will do the needful."

He further said there are other agencies who are tasked with guarding the coast and saving lives.

The police official also hinted that some "counter factions" were also involved in these dacoit activities. "These types of events mostly occur due to vessel rent and some other financial issues," he added.