Pinak-6 owner's son held in capital

Rapid Action Battalion members produce Omar Farroque Limon (C), son of the owner of the launch Pinak-6 that capsized in #Padma, before journalists after arresting him in Khilkhet area, Dhaka early Friday. Photo: Press release

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Omar Farroque Limon, son of owner of recently capsized Pinak-6, from his relative's house in the capital’s Khilkhet area early today.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of Rab-1 conducted a raid at the house and arrested Farroque at around 3:30pm, said Rab’s Legal and Media Wing Director Mufti Mahmud Khan.

On August 4, the launch capsized in Padma River in Munshiganj area with around 200 passengers that claimed over 100 lives.  

After the accident, Jahangir Bhuiyan, transport inspector of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), filed a case with Lauhajang Police Station against the launch’s owner, its master driver and others.

Farroque, who was an accused of the case, went into hiding soon after the launch capsized, Mufti Mahmud Khan said.

Earlier on August 13, a joint team of Rab-7 and 11 arrested Abu Bakkar Siddique, owner of Pinak-6, from a house in Agrabad Housing area of Chittagong city.

So far, bodies of 48 passengers of the ill-fated launch were recovered from different rivers while 62 are still missing.

After an eight-day search, the rescuers on Monday packed up and left, declaring the search operation abandoned.