Stranded War Veteran Dies Amid Sandwip Speedboat Extortion Strike

A 70-year-old freedom fighter died at Guptachhara Ghat in Sandwip on Wednesday morning after an abrupt strike by speedboat operators left him unable to travel to Chittagong for urgent medical treatment. Siraj Uddin, a resident of Rahmatgo Bari near Kashem Market in Gachhua Union, succumbed to his illness at around 11:30 AM while waiting helplessly on the jetty for a boat that would never depart.

Crucial Delay at the Jetty

Siraj Uddin was admitted to the local Gachhua Health Complex on Tuesday night following severe complications related to a liver ailment. As his condition deteriorated overnight, attending doctors advised his family to transfer him immediately to a specialized hospital in Chittagong for advanced medical intervention.

On Wednesday morning, maritime weather warning signals were finally withdrawn after a seven-day suspension of sea transport across the Bay of Bengal. Family members rushed the elderly veteran to Guptachhara Ghat at approximately 9:00 AM, hopeful of securing quick passage across the Guptachhara-Kumira water route. Upon arrival, however, they discovered that all passenger speedboats had been grounded without prior warning.

The dead veteran’s nephew, Rezaul Karim, recounted the agonizing wait at the terminal, noting that they desperately sought any available vessel upon arrival. Operators refused to launch, citing an ongoing operational shutdown. Owing to low tide conditions along the coastal channel, alternative transport options—including state ferries, passenger steamers, and cargo trawlers—were completely stranded and unable to navigate the shallow waters. Siraj Uddin’s health rapidly declined over the next two hours, leading to his death on the wharf before any vessel could be arranged.

Extortion Allegations and Administrative Inaction

The sudden shutdown stemmed from an ongoing conflict over extortion along the lucrative Guptachhara-Kumira passage. Jaglul Hossain Nayan, proprietor of Adil Enterprise—the BIWTA-authorised operator running speedboats on the route—confirmed the suspension. He alleged that identified local miscreants had been raiding the ticket counter at Guptachhara Ghat over the preceding two days, extorting cash and assaulting staff. He stated that operations would remain halted until local authorities provided adequate security for terminal workers.

However, Nayan Sheel, Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), dismissed the operator’s safety claims as a cover for commercial disputes. He clarified that he had warned the leaseholder of immediate licence cancellation if boat services were not restored promptly to serve the public.

Navigational issues compounded the transport crisis. Despite the weather clearing up, the lack of necessary dredging along the Sandwip channel prevented heavy vessels from operating during low tide. The local ferry service announced that its departure would be delayed until 5:00 PM to coincide with the high tide, leaving hundreds of passengers, including emergency patients, stranded for hours.

Local authorities have since pledged to intervene. Sujon Haldar, Officer-in-Charge of Sandwip Police Station, stated that law enforcement would take legal action upon receiving a formal written complaint regarding the extortion and terminal disruption. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Amjad Hossain expressed deep regret over the tragedy, describing the death of a freedom fighter due to lack of medical access as utterly unacceptable. He assured the public that emergency administrative measures were underway to restore normal vessel operations across the channel swiftly.