A 70-year-old freedom fighter died at Guptachhara Ghat in Sandwip on Wednesday morning after an unannounced strike by speedboat operators prevented him from reaching Chittagong for urgent medical treatment. Siraj Uddin, a resident of Rahmatgo Bari in Gachhua Union, passed away at roughly 11:30 AM on the jetty after waiting for hours for a boat to cross the channel.
Stranded at the Jetty
Siraj Uddin had been admitted to the local Gachhua Health Complex on Tuesday night with severe liver complications. As his condition worsened, attending doctors advised his family to transfer him to a specialized hospital in Chittagong without delay.
On Wednesday morning, maritime weather warnings were finally lifted following a seven-day weather-induced suspension of sea transport. His family rushed him to Guptachhara Ghat around 9:00 AM to catch a vessel along the Guptachhara-Kumira route, only to find all passenger speedboats grounded.
The veteran’s nephew, Rezaul Karim, explained that they searched for any available vessel upon arrival, but operators refused to launch. Low tide along the coastal channel meant that alternative state ferries, steamers, and cargo trawlers could not navigate the shallow waters either. Without access to medical transport, Siraj Uddin’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died on the wharf before any vessel departed.
Extortion Claims and Administrative Response
The stoppage followed alleged extortion attempts targeting the speedboat terminal. Jaglul Hossain Nayan, owner of the BIWTA-authorised Adil Enterprise, acknowledged the shutdown, claiming that local extortionists had been raiding the Guptachhara counter and robbing staff over the past two days. He maintained that operations would remain suspended until authorities guaranteed security.
Conversely, Nayan Sheel, Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), attributed the shutdown to commercial rivalries rather than genuine safety threats. He stated that the operator had been warned of immediate licence cancellation if services were not restored promptly.
Poor channel maintenance further delayed alternative transport. A lack of dredging along the Sandwip route meant larger ferries could only depart during high tide at 5:00 PM, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.
Sandwip Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sujon Haldar stated that legal action would follow a formal written complaint. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amjad Hossain expressed regret over the tragic death, calling the lack of medical access unacceptable and confirming that steps were being taken to restart boat services immediately.
