Hansa Caledonia in Ctg Port: Probe team talks with captain and chief engineer
Our Correspondent | Sunday, 17 April 2011
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, April 16: Leader of premier trade body CCCI Morshed Murad Ibrahim today expressed concern at the death of a labour trapped in a container to Singapore. The president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement said it is a serious incident which has negative impact on the port activities, while the CCCI and other stakeholders are trying heart and soul to uphold the image of Chittagong Port in the maritime world. He sought proper investigation and steps against the incident. He urged the concerned authorities to be more conscious and careful for greater interest of the port and the country. Meanwhile the probe committee headed by Captain Nazmul Alam of the Chittagong Port Authority quizzed the captain and chief officer of container vessel MV Hansa Caledonia at the Port jetty on Friday night. The container ship that had carried the empty container with two ill-fated labours from Chittagong Port to Singapore called the port earlier on Friday. "I have talked with the captain and chief officer of the ship about how they came to learn about the two men carried inside a container of their ship. They told us that they were not aware of any worker trapped inside even during their stay at Singapore. The message was sent them from Singapore when they were half the way for Port Kelang with the ship," Captain Nazmul told the FE Saturday evening. He said that this was purely an accident that the workers were trapped in. I have learnt from the Singapore port authority that they got only a packet of cigarettes from the man survived. "So far I understand from talks with the concerned quarters it was an accident and something planned. Nobody really goes to Singapore this way. The report of a Bangla newspaper in Singapore stating they took marijuana seems to be baseless," he observed. He said that his team was closing to the end of the investigation for submitting report to the CPA chairman. But they will have to wait until Din Islam returns from Singapore as his statement is crucial for investigation. "Bangladesh embassy in Singapore is looking after the return of Islam and the dead body of Alamgir. So submission of the probe report depends on their return," he said. When asked about the security lapses, if any, by the CPA security department as questioned by the stakeholders of the port Captain Nazmul said there is another probe committee to find out the security lapses. He said that another investigation committee headed by Captain Habibur Rahman, principal officer of the Mercantile Marine Department is working to look into the matters of the compliances of the Code of International Ship and Port Security (ISPS). Meanwhile, CPA secretary Syed Farhad told the FE that the victims are not workers of Chittagong Port. "Had they been port workers the berth operators could have identified them by their names and the workers leaders could have named them also. But till today nobody came with such allegation and none registered a GD (general dairy) with the police either," he said. MV Hansa Caledonia called Chittagong Port on March 17 and left the port with cargo in 1200 containers on April 1. It reached Singapore port on April 5 and the workers found the victims trapped inside an empty container on April 10. One of the victims Din Mohammad survived while his co-worker Alamgir died without food and water. Islam was admitted to Alexandra Hospital in Singapore.
CHITTAGONG, April 16: Leader of premier trade body CCCI Morshed Murad Ibrahim today expressed concern at the death of a labour trapped in a container to Singapore. The president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement said it is a serious incident which has negative impact on the port activities, while the CCCI and other stakeholders are trying heart and soul to uphold the image of Chittagong Port in the maritime world. He sought proper investigation and steps against the incident. He urged the concerned authorities to be more conscious and careful for greater interest of the port and the country. Meanwhile the probe committee headed by Captain Nazmul Alam of the Chittagong Port Authority quizzed the captain and chief officer of container vessel MV Hansa Caledonia at the Port jetty on Friday night. The container ship that had carried the empty container with two ill-fated labours from Chittagong Port to Singapore called the port earlier on Friday. "I have talked with the captain and chief officer of the ship about how they came to learn about the two men carried inside a container of their ship. They told us that they were not aware of any worker trapped inside even during their stay at Singapore. The message was sent them from Singapore when they were half the way for Port Kelang with the ship," Captain Nazmul told the FE Saturday evening. He said that this was purely an accident that the workers were trapped in. I have learnt from the Singapore port authority that they got only a packet of cigarettes from the man survived. "So far I understand from talks with the concerned quarters it was an accident and something planned. Nobody really goes to Singapore this way. The report of a Bangla newspaper in Singapore stating they took marijuana seems to be baseless," he observed. He said that his team was closing to the end of the investigation for submitting report to the CPA chairman. But they will have to wait until Din Islam returns from Singapore as his statement is crucial for investigation. "Bangladesh embassy in Singapore is looking after the return of Islam and the dead body of Alamgir. So submission of the probe report depends on their return," he said. When asked about the security lapses, if any, by the CPA security department as questioned by the stakeholders of the port Captain Nazmul said there is another probe committee to find out the security lapses. He said that another investigation committee headed by Captain Habibur Rahman, principal officer of the Mercantile Marine Department is working to look into the matters of the compliances of the Code of International Ship and Port Security (ISPS). Meanwhile, CPA secretary Syed Farhad told the FE that the victims are not workers of Chittagong Port. "Had they been port workers the berth operators could have identified them by their names and the workers leaders could have named them also. But till today nobody came with such allegation and none registered a GD (general dairy) with the police either," he said. MV Hansa Caledonia called Chittagong Port on March 17 and left the port with cargo in 1200 containers on April 1. It reached Singapore port on April 5 and the workers found the victims trapped inside an empty container on April 10. One of the victims Din Mohammad survived while his co-worker Alamgir died without food and water. Islam was admitted to Alexandra Hospital in Singapore.