Deaths in ice chamber

The way the freebooters took control of the vessel, and the manner in which the fishermen were done to death, have brought into sharp focus the no-holds-barred piracy in the fishing zones of the Bay. Fishermen and owners of trawlers have complained time and again that they are exposed to organised piracy in the Meghna estuary and the Bay. A report published in this newspaper in July 2004 gave a detailed account of how the extortionist thugs and pirates are operating in the southern region. The trawlers have to pay tolls regularly and get 'clearance' from the pirates to fish in the Bay. It is like a parallel administration run by the outlaws. Those refusing to pay have been targeted on many occasions. Statistics show that at least 10 fishermen were killed between June 2003 and July 2004 and no fewer than 120 were abducted. The pirates also looted more than 100 trawlers during the period.

The report also said that police officials stationed in southern districts admitted that the pirates were active in many places, but were unable to explain why they could not dislodge them.

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Attack on fishing trawlers and a sharp rise in the number of maritime crimes of all other types are a matter of serious concern. The pirates are said to have sophisticated weapons and communication devices at their disposal and are in a position to outgun the law enforcers.

But a situation like this cannot continue for an indefinite period of time. A huge number of people in the southern districts are dependent on fishing as their source of livelihood. So, the economic implications of lawlessness in the Bay cannot also be ignored.

It is imperative that the government succeeded in introducing effective patrol over the vast expanse of water where the pirates are operating. The navy and the coast guards need to coordinate better to mount surveillance at the piracy-prone areas in the southern waters. The grisly deaths of the 14 fishermen should awaken them to the need for acting firmly and quickly to combat piracy. The situation has become critical enough for the authorities to contemplate a special anti-piracy drive.