A case has been filed against unidentified robbers over the murder of seven people on the cargo vessel MV Al Bakhera, which was carrying fertilizer on the Meghna River in Chandpur’s Haimchar upazila.
The ship’s owner, Mahbub Morshed, lodged the case at Haimchar police station late on Tuesday, confirmed Officer-in-Charge Mohiuddin Suman.
According to the case statement, seven crew members were killed and one was injured.
The deceased were master Golam Kibria, greaser Sajibul Islam, lascar Majedul Islam, Sheikh Sabuj, Aminur Munshi, engine driver Salauddin and cook Rana Kazi.
The injured, sukani Jewel, 28, hails from Faridpur Sadar upazila.
The case documents state that Jewel, who suffered a deep slash wound on his neck, was unable to speak and could not provide details about the attackers.
However, he signalled that he could identify them if he saw them.
Jewel also wrote that nine people had been with the crew onboard, naming the ninth person as Irfan, though he could not provide further details, according to the case details.
During an inspection of the vessel, police recovered a bloodstained Chinese axe, a folding knife, two smartphones, two feature phones, a wallet, cash amounting to Tk8,000, a notebook, a seal, a headphone, a handful of rice and a tablespoon with curry, as stated in the case report.
The River Police said Jewel was undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital under security.
The bodies of the seven victims were handed over to their families on Tuesday afternoon by Deputy Commissioner Mohsin Uddin and River Police Superintendent Syed Moshfiqur Rahman.
The district administration provided Tk20,000 in financial aid to each family, while the River Police offered Tk10,000 in cash.
The River Police on Monday afternoon reported the discovery of five bodies on board MV Al Bakhera.
Two more victims died that day at Chandpur General Hospital after three were rushed there in critical condition.
