Launch Fire Tragedy: Abhijan-10 owner held
Rab yesterday arrested Hamjalal Sheikh, one of the owners of MV Abhijan-10, from Dhaka's Keraniganj.
ANM Imran Khan, assistant director of Rab's legal and media wing, confirmed this to The Daily Star.
Hamjalal was shown arrested in a case filed with the Marine Court in Dhaka on Sunday over the deadly fire in the launch.
According to the case statement, the launch did not have adequate fire extinguishers and life-saving buoys.
Besides, drums loaded with diesel, gas stoves and cylinders for cooking were kept outside the engine room without approval.
The charges also include operating the vessel by unauthorised personnel.
The Marine Court on Sunday issued arrest warrants against eight people, including Hamjalal and three other owners of the vessel, in the case.
Special Metropolitan Magistrate Joynab Begum of the Marine Court issued the arrest warrants in the case filed by Md Shafiqur Rahman, chief inspector of the Department of Shipping, said advocate Bellal Hossain, prosecuting officer at the court.
Early on Thursday, a massive fire broke out in the engine room of MV Abhijan-10 in the Sugandha river near Jhalakathi, leading to deaths of at least 41 people.
Meanwhile, confusion remains over the total number of people who went missing in the fire incident.
According to a list prepared by the Barguna district administration, 35 people went missing.
However, Moshiur Rahman, president of Jhalakathi district unit of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said they prepared a list of 51 missing passengers.
Family members of the missing people are still desperately looking for their near and dear ones. They are visiting hospitals and offices of deputy commissioners (DC). Riding on trawlers, many are searching the Sugandha river to find their missing relatives.
Yesterday, family members of 35 missing people gave samples to Barguna General Hospital for DNA testing. The samples would be cross-matched with those from the bodies buried as unidentified launch passengers.
Md Harun, a resident of Barguna town, said: "My daughter Hanufa Akhter is a student of Islamic University. Hanufa along with her daughter was travelling on the launch to come to Barguna. They are still missing. Now I have come here to give samples for DNA testing."
Jony Hawlader, a resident of the capital's Demra area, said four of his family members, including his son, sister and niece, went missing.
"They were travelling to Barguna from Dhaka to visit a relative," he added.
Kalam Meer from Barguna town said his son was still missing. "I looked for him in the Sugandha River in the last three days, but in vain."
Speaking to The Daily Star, volunteers of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society said many people on trawlers were still searching the Sugandha river for their missing relatives.
Najmul Alam, additional deputy commissioner of Jhalakathi, said a body was recovered from the Sugandha river yesterday, but they were yet to ascertain whether it was of a victim of the launch fire.
"As the Barguna district administration is preparing the list of missing people, we have sent a photo of the body to Barguna," he added.
AM Saiful Islam, director at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, said a total of 35 people, who sustained burns, were receiving treatment at the hospital. Three of them were at the intensive care unit.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary standing committee on the shipping ministry yesterday asked the authorities concerned to provide financial compensation to the families of the deceased and those injured.
It also asked the ministry officials concerned to make all arrangements to ensure free treatment of the wounded.
Our Barishal correspondent contributed to this report.
Comments