At least 10 passengers of a launch including women and children were injured after the vessel hit an anchored cargo on the Shitalakshya River in Narayanganj on Thursday.
Deputy Director of BIWTA's Maritime Security Department Babu Lal Vaidya confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune around 10pm.
The incident took place near the under-construction Third Shitalakshya Bridge around 11am. The cargo was not damaged due to the clash.
The Dhaka-bound launch, “MV New Arif”, started from Chandpur with some 150 passengers in the morning. It hit the cargo while going to Narayanganj launch terminal via Munshiganj, and some 10-12 passengers were injured at that time.
Several women and children sustained injuries due to the clash and the launch remained tilted for around one and a half minutes, creating panic among the passengers.
Master of the launch Abul Kashem and engine driver Khokan were detained after the incident. The officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) scrutinized their documents and route permit, but found no irregularities.
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Later, they were released on an undertaking, said Babu Lal. “The launch owner has been asked to recruit a new master. We’ll file a case in this regard on Sunday,” he added.
On March 20, at least eight people including children were killed after a sunken-deck launch named “ML Ashraf Uddin” capsized in the river being hit by a cargo vessel.
The cargo fled the scene but was seized later by the River Police members. The police also detained nine people on board the cargo, owned by City Seed Crushing Industries, and took them into remand.
