Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh’s inlandwaterways have become breeding grounds for criminal activities, with extortion and robbery plaguing boat owners and staff.
The situation has reached such a level that the leaders of different water vessel associations brought their plight to the River Police chief recently and sought their cooperation to this end.
President of Bangladesh Bulkhead Boat Owners Association Mohammad Tofazzal Hossain Badal, shed light on the dire situation, stating that every boat traveling from Sylhet to Dhaka is forced to pay Tk 30,000 in extortion on each trip.
He said, a journey from Sylhet to Dhaka yields between Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 2 lakh, this extortion is a significant burden for us, Badal highlighted that extortionists target 15 specific spots along the route, collectively extracting TK 30,000.
Extortion is being systematically collected under the guise of tolls by various entities, including the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), municipalities, upazila parishads, and police stations.
Tofazzal revealed that there are approximately 10,000 boats in the country, making the extortion racket alarmingly widespread.
Badiuzzaman Badal, senior vice-president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (Passenger carriers) Association, pinpointed specific locations where extortion is rampant, including Beltali, 60-ghat, Monoharpur, and Akalasapur of Chandpur. He emphasized that extortion from each passenger amounts to 40 takas at these locations.
Mahbub Uddin, president of the organization, expressed concerns about the proliferation of gambling activities on launches, particularly in Munshiganj and Narayanganj.
He highlighted the severe repercussions faced by employees who dare to protest against these criminal activities. Extortion is also prevalent at Sadarghat, according to Uddin.
Jahangir Alam, general secretary of Shipping Workers Federation, recounted recent incidents of piracy, indicating a concerning trend of escalating criminality.
He disclosed an incident where a ship was hijacked in Narayanganj, followed by another hijacking just ten days later.
While three robbers were apprehended, seven others remain at large, reflecting the authorities’ struggle to curb such criminal activities.
The Superintendent of Police of Chandpur River Police Station acknowledged the prevalence of extortion and theft, affirming regular campaigns against criminals.
In a recent operation on March 20, four pirates, including the ringleader, were apprehended.
However, with Eid approaching, there are apprehensions of a surge in robbery incidents.
In response to mounting concerns, leaders of various boat associations recently approached Abdul Alim Mahmud, the head of the river police unit, seeking solutions.
Mahmud assured them of concerted efforts to address the issue and reiterated the police unit’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against pirates, extortionists, and gamblers.
The authorities vow to take decisive action to restore safety and security to Bangladesh’s inland waterways.
