Coast Guard Seizes Trawler, Detains One for Illegal Ferrying

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has detained a man and seized a steel-body trawler for illegally transporting passengers along the risk-prone Lakshmipur-Bhola waterway during the Eid rush.

The detainee has been identified as 24-year-old Md. Jewel, a resident of the Madhya Char Ramani Mohan area under Lakshmipur Sadar upazila.

According to Lieutenant Md. Abul Kashem, Media Officer of the Coast Guard South Zone, a specialized team from the Elisha Coast Guard Station carried out a targeted operation in the Meghna River near the Elisha Launch Ghat in Bhola Sadar on Thursday night.

"As part of our heightened waterway security layout for Eid-ul-Azha, patrols spotted the steel-body trawler ferrying commuters from Lakshmipur without regulatory approval. We intercepted the vessel to prevent potential overcrowding accidents." — Lt. Md. Abul Kashem, Coast Guard South Zone.

Operating commercial passenger trips using open engine trawlers is strictly prohibited under Bangladesh maritime law due to severe capsizing risks, especially during monsoon swells.

Following the interception, Coast Guard personnel handed both the vessel and the detainee over to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) for formal legal prosecution.

This report is compiled directly from official security briefs and maritime law enforcement logs released by Lieutenant Md. Abul Kashem, Media Officer for the Bangladesh Coast Guard South Zone.