Police, launch staff assault agitating passengers, 50 hurt

26 September 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Barisal

At least 50 people were injured as river traffic police and staff of a Dhaka-bound launch swooped on its passengers here early yesterday. The incident occurred at around 12:30am when the passengers of the launch, MV Kalam Khan-1, were ransacking the vessel at local terminal protesting cancellation of its journey by its master due to technical fault. According to police and passengers, the launch with more than 3,000 passengers on board left Barisal for the capital at around 9:00pm. After half an hour, one of its two engines went out of order and the launch got stuck on a shoal near Charmonai, about 2-km from Barisal terminal. The launch got released from the shoal at around 11:30pm and the master took it back to Barisal terminal, saying that its another engine was not in good condition. As the master cancelled launch journey, the passengers became agitated and started ransacking it. At this stage, Launch staff and terminal workers attacked the agitating passengers and river traffic police charged baton on them, leaving at least 50 injured. Many passengers alleged that they had lost their luggage and valuables during the incident. River traffic police lodged a general diary with Barisal Kotwali Police Station.