Owners and senior crew of fishing trawlers in Chittagong yesterday suspended fishing in the sea for an indefinite period protesting reported attacks on several trawlers injuring several crewmen last week. Leaders of Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association, Marine White Fish Trawler Owners Association and Ex-Cadet Association of Marine Fisheries Academy at a press conference at a city restaurant also demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. Addressing the conference, Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association, said a group of miscreants under the banner of Matsya Shikari Jahaji Sramik on April 20 morning made attacks in phases on eight to ten fishing trawlers anchored near Fishery Ghat in the river Karnaphuli in the name of a strike for increasing salary. They went on rampage on the day, he said. Severely injured captain (in-charge) Hasanuzzaman of Sea Heart-4 and third officer Mehran Forhad of Sea Heart-3 were admitted to a hospital, the leaders said. No attackers are yet to be arrested although general diaries were filed, said Chowdhury. Sailors of these trawlers are usually paid much higher than the fixed wage for the water transport workers by the government as they are paid several allowances alongside the basic salary, he said. A section was trying to create anarchy in a bid to destroy the fishing sector, he alleged. Captain Shamsul Islam, president of Ex-Cadet Association of Marine Fisheries Academy, said officers including captains, chief officers, and first, second and third officers had already stopped going to the trawlers sensing insecurity.
2016 thedailystar.net.