Earlier in the day, he was presented before the court of Chandpur Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Farhan Sadiq.
The investigating officer, Inspector Mohammad Kalam Khan of the river police unit, requested a 10-day remand. But the court granted a seven-day remand after the hearing.
Assistant public prosecutors Advocate Sharif Mahmud Sayem, Advocate Masud Pradhaniya, Advocate Yasin Arafat Ikram, Advocate Shahjahan Khan, Advocate Shamim Hossain, Advocate Milton, and Advocate Tofayel comprised the government's legal team during the hearing.
Irfan earlier was arrested in the Chitalmari area of Bagerhat by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-11 officials.
RAB on Wednesday said Irfan had killed the seven people onboard the fertiliser-laden vessel in the Meghna River out of rage triggered by unpaid wages and ship master Golam Kibira's misconduct.
Deputy Commandant of RAB-11 in Cumilla Major Sakib Hossain disclosed the information at a press briefing in Cumilla. He said Irfan, son of Jagadish Mandal of Bagerhat's Fakirhat upazila, is an assistant to the vessel staff.
RAB recovered hand gloves, two empty strips of sleeping pills, seven mobile phones belonging to the deceased, and blood-stained jeans from the possession of Irfan.
Hossain further said the vessel master had not paid Irfan's wages for the past eight months. "He [vessel master] also used to misbehave with Irfan, which enraged the latter."
The RAB official said the accused had planned to kill the master and bought three strips of sleeping pills at a market in Pabna when the vessel anchored there.
The accused then mixed sleeping pills with food, which rendered the master and others unconscious, he went on.
"Wearing gloves, Irfan first murdered the master with a Chinese axe and then the others when they witnessed the incident. After killing them all, he navigated the vessel to Eshanbala Char in Chandpur's Haimchar upazila, anchored it there, and fled by a trawler," the RAB official added.
Haimchar Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Md Mohiuddin Suman on Wednesday said vessel owner Mahabub Morshed had filed a murder case accusing some unidentified individuals.
Earlier on Monday afternoon, the coast guard and river police recovered five bodies and rescued three injured victims from the vessel. Later, two of the injured died in hospital.
The bodies were handed over to the families after completing legal procedures on Tuesday.
The industries ministry on Tuesday formed a four-member probe body headed by an additional secretary and asked it to submit a report within five working days.
The family members of the victims claimed the killings were premeditated and demanded justice. They raised the demand while receiving the bodies from Chandpur Sadar Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
The deceased are vessel master Golam Kibria, 55, of Faridpur; his nephew and sailor Sheikh Sabuj, 35; helmsman Aminul Munshi, 40, of Narail; sailor Majedul, 16, of Magura; sailor Sajibul Islam, 26, of Magura; engineer Salahuddin, 40, of Narail; and cook Kazi Rana, 24, of Munshiganj.
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