Mizanur Rahman :
Authority on Monday imposed a ban on plying of commercial water vessels through the Shela River in the Sundarbans.
The ban came into effect as per the decision of the Shipping Ministry, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman Commodore M Mozammel Haque told journalists yesterday.
All the vessels have been withdrawn from Sharankhola-Bhola and Mongla-Pashur river points in the Sundarbans after the order, he said.
BIWTA Chairman said, the Shipping Ministry issued an order asking all the commercial water vessel owners to use Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel instead of the Shela River until further notice. He also suggested the vessel owners to use the one-way route of the Mongla-Ghashiakhali channel during the full tide.
The Shipping Ministry took the decision following a Jessore-bound coal-laden cargo vessel ‘MV Sea Hosrse-1’ from Chittagong carrying 1,235 tonnes of coal sank in the Shela River at Harintana in the Sundarbans under Mongla upazila of Khulna on Saturday evening.
“As per the directive of Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, we have imposed the ban on plying of all commercial water vessels through the Shela River. The ban came into effect from Monday,” BIWTA’s Khulna office Deputy Director M Ashraf Hossain told reporters. Sultan Mahmud, Station Officer at Dhansagar of Sundarbans East Zone, filed a case with Sarankhola Police Station on early Monday in connection with the capsize of the cargo vessel.
They sought Tk 5 crore as compensation in the case.
Six people were made accused in the case, said Shah Alam Miah, Officer-in-Charge of the police station. The accused are Mrs Monira Kabir, owner of the capsized cargo vessel ‘MV Sea Hosrse-1’, Azizur Rahman, owner of ‘Shamata Trading Agency’ and its staff Jamal Hossain, cargo master Sirajul Islam, staff Shahidul Islam and cargo pilot Ismail Farazi.
However, there has been no progress so far in salvaging the sunken vessel as it is lying 30-40 feet below the water surface.
However, all the 14 crew members of the vessel, owned by ‘Shamata Trading Agency’, managed to swim ashore after the incident and went into hiding.
Meanwhile, two panels have been formed to probe the incident. Earlier on December 9, 2014, a tanker carrying some 3.58 lakh litres of furnace oil sank in the river creating a ground for a prolonged impact on the coastal ecology of the Sundarbans.
The oil spill drew an outcry from activists, environmentalists, political organisations, rights activists and many others throughout the world. They demanded a ban on the river route. Under pressure, the government suspended Shela River route for a few days before reopening it again in January. The forest department had protested the move, saying it would be harmful for the biodiversity of the mangrove forest.
Besides, Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (2010) also prohibits the operation of the commercial vessels through the river in the forest.
A surveillance team has also been formed by the Forest Department to monitor Sharankhola and Chandpai points and alert authorities of any violation. On Sunday, Station Officer Sultan Mahmud filed a case with Sharankhola Police Station against six people, including the sunken cargo’s owner, its pilot, shipping agent and manager, in this regard.
