Dhaka: The River Police has been facing a shortage of manpower and vessels to ensure security on the vast areas of river routes, alongside conducting regular drives against unauthorized fishing and bulkheads. ‘We’re mainly ensuring security on the river routes through patrolling,’ Additional Deputy Inspector General (South Division), Md. Abdul Warish told BSS today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the River Police utilizes three types of vessels for patrolling: speed boats, shallow engine boats, and fiber boats. However, in many instances, they rely on local shallow engine boats, which are slower. Additional DIG Warish highlighted the challenge of patrolling the extensive river areas across four zones in his jurisdiction, encompassing districts such as Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, and several others. Despite having 600-700 personnel under his command, Warish noted that this number is insufficient for covering the extensive river routes, often necessitating the use of local shallow engines for patrols.
Warish also mentioned that they have identified 100 crime-prone areas in the South Division where they ensure continuous patrols. While robberies and other crimes are prevalent on the river routes, he noted a significant decline in such incidents due to constant patrolling and swift responses to crime-related information.
Md. Kaiyumuzzaman Khan, Addl DIG (North Division) at the River Police Headquarters in Dhaka, explained that alongside patrolling, they rely on intelligence information to maintain security on the river routes. The River Police operates across eleven zones nationwide, with four zones in the South Division and seven in the North Division. They manage their operations through 122 outposts, employing around 2,000 personnel.
The River Police, established on November 12, 2013, as a special unit of the Bangladesh Police, has a mandate under Rule 7 of the Naval Police Rules 2020. Their functions include ensuring the safety of navigation, cargo, passengers, trade, and import-export activities, maintaining law and order at various terminals and anchor points, and combating smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other organized crimes.
In their nationwide ongoing operation, the River Police seized over 2.75 crore meters of illegal fishing nets in the past seven days. They also arrested 266 individuals as part of efforts to protect the country’s fisheries resources and ensure safety on the waterways. Additionally, 2133 kg of fish and 320 kg of jellied shrimp were confiscated during the operations. Over the same period, 266 individuals were apprehended in connection with 62 cases, including those related to the Fisheries Act, reckless driving, unauthorized sand extraction, and other offenses. Furthermore, legal actions were taken against 97 bulkheads and six dredgers, which were seized due to the absence of legal documents.