Air patrol on cards to curb crime at Ctg port
Rafiq Hasan
The government has decided to introduce regular air patrol on the outer anchorage of Chittagong port and villages along the port channel of Karnaphuli river and the Bay of Bengal coast in a bid to curb armed robbery, theft and other criminal activities in the ocean-going ships. An inter-ministerial meeting at the shipping ministry yesterday decided to ask Bangladesh Air Force to carry out air patrol by helicopters, meeting sources said. In case of detection of any criminal activities by the air patrol, the Coast Guard will rush to the spot on getting signal. The meeting also decided to equip the Coast Guard with two modern speedboats to facilitate quick response to signals and step up security in the port channel and outer anchorage. Chittagong Port Authority will procure the speedboats in a month with its own funds. Moreover, the areas along the port channel will be brought under one police station to ensure effective vigilance. Police will conduct raids in the villages as robbers and thieves take shelter in them and goods stolen from ships are often sold at the village markets. The measures follow concern over deterioration of law and order and security lapses at Chittagong port. The government is also under pressure to implement International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) code. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has asked all its member-countries to implement the code by June this year and warned of port boycott by international ships in the event of non-implementation. The IMO piracy centre in Kuala Lumpur termed Bangladesh ports as second most dangerous ones in the world due to reported armed robbery and thefts in foreign ships. Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain chaired yesterday's meeting attended by, among others, the shipping secretary, defence secretary, Mongla Port Authority chairman and representatives of the home ministry and Armed Forces Division. Akbar Hossain told the meeting the government would implement the ISPS code within the stipulated time. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Ocean Going Ship Owners Association said at least two incidents of robbery or theft take place a week at ships anchored at Bangladesh ports. In such a situation, local and foreign ships hire additional security guards when they anchor at the ports or wait at outer anchorage. According to shipping department sources, armed robbers attacked more than a dozen foreign and local ships at Chittagong and Mongla ports in five months last year.
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