Sinking of Launch: 9 staffers of bulk carrier land in jail
Nine staffers of the bulk carrier, which rammed a launch causing it to sink in the Shitalakkhya in Narayanganj on Sunday, were sent to jail and five others placed on a two-day remand yesterday.
Thirty-four people of the passenger launch were killed in the accident.
The 14 staffers of the cargo vessel were shown arrested in the case filed in this connection by Babu Lal Baidya, an official of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.
Police yesterday produced them before a Narayanganj court, seeking a five-day remand for each of them.
But Senior Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Humayun Kabir sent nine of them to jail and granted a two-day remand for each of the five others.
On Thursday, Bangladesh Coast Guard members arrested them from Munshiganj while the cargo vessel was anchored in the Meghna after it was repainted to dodge law enforcers.
Law enforcers said the cargo vessel did not have a survey certificate. Though the vessel was not allowed to ply the river without the certificate, the arrestees were taking the vessel to Munshiganj's Gazaria when the accident happened, said Mina Mahmud, superintendent of Narayanganj naval police.
Asked about the name of the cargo vessel's owing company and its owner, Mina avoided the answer, saying that he did not receive any related papers in this regard.
"The Coast Guard members handed the seized vessel and 14 arrestees to us. We will take legal action against them," he told The Daily Star.
Mina said in primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they were in the cargo vessel when the accident happened.
Quoting the arrestees, he said the cargo vessel was heading towards Gazaria after being repaired from a dockyard in Narsingdi. On its way, the vessel hit the passenger launch, causing it to sink.
Lieutenant Commander Amirul Haque, media officer of Coast Guard, said when their members were in regular patrols in the Meghna in Gazaria on Thursday, fishermen informed them that a cargo vessel had been repainted recently and was anchored near Nayanagar village.
Shahidul Alam, officer-in-charge of Narayanganj naval police, said Coast Guard members confirmed that it is a cargo vessel named "SKL-3".
Ziaul Islam Chowdhury, upazila nirbahi officer of Gazaria, said the vessel was repainted inside a dockyard in a nearby area.
[Our Narayanganj correspondent and a Munshiganj correspondent contributed to this report.]
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