Bagerhat Correspondent :
Robbery cases are on the increase in the Harbaria area of the Pashur channel of Mongla Sea Port recently .
As many as 6 robberies were committed in 6 cargo and coaster ships in the Harbaria area of the Pashur channel during the last 7 days (from February 03 to 09) alone, according to reports received here.
The last robbery was committed in a cargo ship on Friday night. At the night a gang of armed robbers raided the cargo anchored with the Harbaria No. 8 anchorage, made the crews and other staff of the cargo hostage at arms point and looted cash, mobile sets, fuel oil and other valuables from the cargo. The increasing robbery in the ships in the Harbaria area of Mongla Port created a great panic among the staff and the owners of the ships. If the law enforcing agencies do not take strong measures to stop the committing of robbery in water vessels in Pashur Channel ‘Bangladesh Naujan Sramik Federation’, the association of the staff of the water vessels of Bangladesh threatened to stop the plying of all kinds of water vessels in the water routes of the southern region including Mongla Port (Pashur channel).
Crews, other staff of the water vessels and their owners disclosed to the newsmen, big sized foreign ship laden with goods arrive at Harbaria area of Mongla port from where goods are unloaded to the cargo and coaster ships. So, a good number of such ships always stay there in order to unload goods from the foreign ships. At the night of last Friday coal was unloaded from a foreign ship to a cargo ship named MV. Rafid-1 and anchored at Haarbaria with the anchorage No.8. At about 11-30 pm 5 armed robbers raided the cargo , made the crews and other staff of the ship at gun point and decamped with cash Tk.18 thousand, 7 mobile sets, 100 liters diesel oil and other valuables. There was as many as 13 staff in the cargo including its master. Md. Hasan, master of the cargo told, at the night some 5 persons wearing Lungies and shirts armed with fire arms raided our ship by a boat, made the staff including myself hostage at gun point and committed dacoity. In this connection I lodged a GD with Mongla PS.
