Misbehavior, unpaid wages caused the murders of 7 crew members: RAB
Published: 25 December 2024, 2:39:58
Long time misbehavior and unpaid wages behind the murders of seven crew members on MV Al Bakhera vessel in Chandpur, said Lt Col Munim Ferdous, the spokesperson of Rapid Action Battalion, on Wednesday.
Earlier, a team of RAB-11 have arrested Akash Mandal alias Irfan from Bagerhat’s Chitolmari area over the murders. Akash is another crew member of MV Al Bakhera.
Hand gloves, bag, seven mobile phone sets and a jeans pant with blood were recovered from Akash.
In primary quizzing, Akash informed that he went out to buy some goods for the vessel. Then he bought some sleeping pills from a market in Pabna.
Out of anger, which Akash has cherished for a long time, he mixed the sleeping pills with food made for supper without the cook’s knowledge. When the seven, including master Golam Kibria, fell unconscious, Akash hacked all of them with a Chinese axe which was always kept inside the vessel for their safety.
When the vessel was anchored on the Meghna River, Akash himself drove the trawler to the Haimchar area after confirming everyone’s death. Then he escaped in another trawler, Lt Col Munim added.
Meanwhile, a case was filed with Haimchar Police Station on Tuesday night by Mahabub Morshed, owner of the vessel, over the incident.
River police recovered five bodies from fertiliser-carrying MV Al Bakhera at around 3PM on Monday and three people were rescued in critical condition. Later, two died at Chandpur general hospital.
Lone survivor Jewel Rana, 23, whose throat was slit, was transferred to Dhaka for better treatment.
The deceased were MV Al Bakhera master Kibria, cooik Rana Kazi, driver Salauddin, helmsman Aminul Munshi, greaser Sajibul Islam, crewmen Azizul Munshi and Majedul Islam.
