On Monday morning, December 23, a brutal attack unfolded in the Meghna River near Chandpur when a group of criminals boarded the MV Al-Bakhera, a lighter vessel traveling from Chittagong. Armed with sharp weapons, the assailants viciously attacked the crew and then fled the scene. In the aftermath, the bodies of five crew members were recovered from the ship. Two more died on the way to the hospital, and one individual is still receiving treatment at a hospital in Dhaka.
Following the deadly incident, grieving relatives gathered outside the Chandpur Government General Hospital to claim the bodies. Hospital sources confirmed that the seven bodies were brought to the facility for autopsy on Monday night. Since early Tuesday morning, the relatives have been waiting to collect their loved one’s remains, but the autopsy has yet to be completed, preventing them from doing so.
Among the victims was Salauddin Mollah (40), a ship’s engine operator from Lohagara, Narail. His cousin and another shipmaster, Jahangir Alam, shared that they had learned of the brutal killings through a Facebook post on Monday afternoon. “Upon hearing the news, we immediately came here today to collect the bodies,” Alam said. He also expressed his belief that the incident was not a robbery as the criminals took nothing after the killings. He suspects it was a premeditated attack.
In response to the horrific murders, Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Industry, announced that an investigation committee has been formed to probe the killings. The committee has been tasked with submitting a detailed report within the next five working days.
The attack has left the local community shaken, and authorities are under pressure to bring the perpetrators to justice. The investigation is expected to shed light on the chilling motives behind this senseless act of violence.
Source; ntvbd
