BIWTA engineers rescued after two and a half hours of alleged abduction

Two engineers of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) were rescued from Painpara of Shariatpur’s Zajira after two and a half hours of their alleged abduction on Friday, reports UNB.

The officials are -- sub-assistant engineer Kapil Uddin and BIWTA’s dredger Baleshwar’s quarter master Md Shamim Miah.

The rescued were given first-aid at a local hospital as they were reportedly beaten up by their abductors, said Saidur Rahman, additional chief engineer (dredging) of BIWTA.

Zajira police station officer-in-charge Azharul Islam Sarker said a joint team of his station and Kathalbari river police rescued them from Rob Majhi’s Painpara house around 12:30pm.

BIWTA sources said Kapil and Shamim were abducted from Padma Bridge crossing point while they were dredging the Shimulia-Kathalbari ferry route around 9:30am to keep the channel navigable for ferries and other vessels.

A group of miscreants, led by Shibchar Tarpasha’s Khabir Hawlader, Painpara’s Razzak Sarder, Munser of Mollakandi and Faruk Hawlader and Malek Majhi of Ahmed Majhikandi, attacked the dredger and abducted them, they claimed.

“During the attack, they were also searching for BIWTA’s assistant engineers Hasan Ahmed and Abdur Rahman,” said additional chief engineer Saidur Rahman.

Replying to a question, he said local influential people were trying to obstruct dredging since sand and soil were dumped on nearby shoals on which they cultivated crops. The land belongs to the government.

Zajira OC said the matter was resolved through discussion between local community leaders and BIWTA officials but Saidur said assistant engineer Hasan would file a police complaint against the attackers.