Police have detained nine people, including Hemayet Bepari, president of the Shariktala Union unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), allegedly while they were stealing iron pipes from beneath the eighth Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge in Pirojpur.
The incident took place at around midnight on Sunday, 4 October, beneath the bridge over the Kacha River in Pirojpur Sadar upazila. Police said the group was detained while allegedly attempting to remove iron pipes from the area beneath the bridge.
The detention of a local political leader among the nine has drawn additional attention to the case. However, police have stressed that Bepari’s involvement in the alleged theft has not yet been established.
Pirojpur Sadar police station officer-in-charge Mohammad Shariful Islam said authorities were examining whether Bepari had any connection with the alleged theft. The police will take further legal action after completing the initial investigation and assessing the evidence, he said.
The authorities are also expected to examine the roles of the other people detained during the operation. Details about the quantity of pipes allegedly targeted for theft, their intended use or destination, and whether any damage was caused to the bridge have not yet been established.
The bridge forms part of the local transport infrastructure and spans the Kacha River, making the security of materials and structures associated with it a matter of public concern. Any unauthorised removal of metal components from around a major bridge can also raise questions about maintenance and protection of public infrastructure, although there is currently no indication from police that the bridge itself has suffered structural damage.
The detention has also prompted a response from the BNP’s district leadership.
Mohammad Nazrul Islam Khan, convener of the Pirojpur district BNP, said the party would examine the matter. If the allegations against Bepari were found to be true following an investigation, the party would take the strongest organisational action against him, he said.
For now, the case remains at the investigation stage. Police are assessing the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft and determining the extent of each detainee’s involvement. Bepari’s political position does not by itself establish guilt, and any legal responsibility will depend on the findings of the investigation and subsequent proceedings.
The authorities are expected to clarify the circumstances of the incident as the inquiry progresses, including how the group allegedly gained access to the area beneath the bridge and what happened to the materials targeted in the alleged theft.
