River Police facing shortage of manpower, vessels in securing vast river routes

The River Police has been facing shortage of manpower and vessels to ensure security on the vast areas of river routes alongside conducting regular drives against unauthorised fishing and bulkheads.
 
"We're mainly ensuring security on the river routes through patrolling," Additional Deputy Inspector General (South Division) Md. Abdul Warish told BSS today. 
 
He said they used three modes of vessels that include speed boats, shallow engine boats and fibber boats during the patrolling. 
 
But, in most cases, the River Police has to depend on the local shallow engine boats with slower speeds, he said. 
 
The Addl DIG said they have been facing problems to patrol a vast area of the river routes in four zones under his jurisdiction that include Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Barishal, Jhalokathi, Borguna, Patuakhali and Bhola districts. 

Warish said he has 600-700 police personnel under his South Division, which is inadequate to cover the vast river routes under his jurisdiction, adding that they have to use local shallow engines in patrolling the river routes most of the time.
 
"So, we have sorted out 100 hot spots or crime prone areas in South Division and ensure round-the-clock patrol there," he said. 
 
The Addl DIG said robberies or attempted robberies and mugging usually take place in speed boats, goods-laden bulkheads and engines boats in the river routes  
  
But, he said, the crimes in the naval routes have declined significantly due to their constant patrolling and prompt response to any information leading to the crimes. 
  
Talking to BSS Addl DIG (North Division) River Police Headquarters, Dhaka, Md. Kaiyumuzzaman Khan said they have to depend on the intelligence information alongside patrolling to ensure security on the river routes.      
 
River Police has eleven zones across the country. Four of the zones fall under the South Division and seven under the North Divisions. The River Police is conducting their activities through 122 outposts (58 outposts in South Division and 64 in North Division) across the country with the manpower around 2000. 
       
The River Police started its journey on 12 November 2013 as a special unit of the Bangladesh Police.
       
As per the Rule 7 of Naval Police Rules 2020, the functions of River Police include taking necessary legal measures to ensure the safety of navigation, cargo, passenger, trade and import-export in the jurisdiction; maintaining law and order and security at ferries and ferry wharves, launch wharves, launch terminals, naval terminals and anchor ghats, taking actions against smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal arms and other organized national and international crimes. 
 
In the nationwide ongoing operation, the River Police seized over 2.75 crore meters of illegal fishing nets in the past seven days.  
 
They also arrested 266 individuals as part of the move to protect the country's fisheries resources and ensure safety on the waterways. 
 
Apart from the fishing nets, 2,133 kg of fish, and 320 kg of jellied shrimp were seized during the operations.  
 
In the past seven days of operations, a total of 266 accused in 62 cases were also arrested. Of the cases, 34 were lodged under the Fisheries Act, 12 for reckless driving, seven for unauthorized extraction of sands, four for unnatural deaths, one for stealing, one for drug trafficking and one murder. 
 
In the weeklong operations, cases were filed against 97 bulkheads and six dredgers were seized due to having no legal documents.