Secure Ctg Port Before Piracy Takes Root

Growing incidence of piracy and theft at Chattogram Port’s outer anchorage is a matter of grave concern. As Bangladesh’s key maritime gateway, the port plays a vital role in the country’s trade and economy. Repeated attacks on commercial vessels are not only endangering crew members and causing financial losses, but also potentially damaging the confidence of foreign ship owners, shipping agents and international maritime operators.

According to a report published by The Daily Observer, the Bangladesh Coast Guard recently detained 16 suspected pirates and recovered 1,020 kilograms of stolen scrap metal and ship equipment. While the operation deserves recognition, recurrence of such incidents highlights the need for stronger and more sustained security measures.

However, recent months have witnessed a series of alarming attacks. On 29 June, a group of armed robbers reportedly boarded MV Hai Xu at Charlie Anchorage, held crew members hostage and looted equipment worth around Tk10 million. On the following day, tanker MT IROS was also targeted, with some of its stolen equipment later recovered by river police in Dhaka’s Banglabazar area. On 16 July, tanker Tai Shuen came under attack shortly after arriving from Hong Kong. Earlier, in May, robbers reportedly stole around 2,900 litres of paint from a container vessel at the outer anchorage.

The series of one after other occurrences clearly hints at more than just isolated acts of opportunistic theft. Recovering stolen vessel equipment from local markets points to the existence of organised criminal networks involved in transporting and selling such goods. Therefore, law enforcement agencies must emphasize on not only arresting individual offenders, but also identifying and dismantling the wider networks that facilitate these crimes.

The Chattogram Port Authority and relevant security agencies must move beyond a reactive approach while establish a permanent, intelligence-led security framework. Coast Guard patrolling should be intensified, particularly during night-time hours, and modern surveillance systems should be deployed to monitor suspicious activities and unauthorised approaches to vessels. Equally important is to ensure better coordination and information-sharing among security agencies. Thus, ensuring safety of vessels, crews and cargo at the outer anchorage is essential for safeguarding Bangladesh’s maritime trade, economic interests and international reputation.

Concurrently, authorities should also engage ship owners, shipping agents and seafarers to identify vulnerabilities and develop practical preventive measures. Their concerns deserve serious attention, as do the warnings issued by the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

To finish with, the Chattogram Port is a national strategic asset, and its overall security issues cannot be compromised at whatever cost. The latest Coast Guard operations should be assessed as the beginning of a sustained effort, rather than a temporary crackdown.