CPA detains 23 vessels

Legal measures were taken against the lighter vessels on charges of violating the CPA Act, overloading, not having safety equipment, anchoring dangerously, plying the ships by unskilled crews and passing the Bay of Bengal illegally, a CPA press release said.

Of the detained ships, overloaded cargoes of seven vessels were off-loaded while survey certificates of six vessels given by the Mercantile Marine Department and the Department of Shipping were cancelled.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The CPA magistrate, Mohammad Munir Chowdhury, led the drives in cooperation with port security personnel in the port channel from October 12.

The CPA has intensified drives against defiant vessels at entire port channel following the sinking of overloaded lighter ship MV Shah Bandar at the estuary of Karnaphuli river on October 11 that endangered the ship movements to and from the port in a bid to restore discipline in inland ship movements, CPA sources said.