Mongla, Mar 20 (V7N) - A joint force led by the Coast Guard has launched an operation to check whether the cargo ship is floating idly in the sea after unloading daily necessities from the mother vessel. The Coast Guard conducted the operation in the rivers and sea of ​​the West Zone (Mongla) from Thursday morning to evening.
 
The Coast Guard has started strict monitoring to ensure that the goods are being transported to the specified destination within 72 hours after being unloaded from mother vessels at various inland and offshore anchorages. Although there is no information available in the Mongla region about lighter ships being converted into floating warehouses to store edible oil and other daily necessities, such incidents are happening in different parts of the country.
 
Executive Magistrate of the Department of Shipping Anidya Guha said that 71 ships were inspected on Thursday. No ships carrying edible oil were found among them. However, the ships carrying food grains are being unloaded on time. However, 10 lighter ships that are violating the law in the Inland Navigation Ordinance (69) have been fined Tk 3 lakh 55 thousand under the specified section.
 
Coast Guard Media Officer (Dhaka) Lieutenant Md. Siam-ul-Haq said that the Coast Guard is making every effort to prevent importers from smuggling goods out of the country and is keeping a strict vigil. He also said that the Coast Guard is working to prevent theft, robbery, extortion, drug smuggling in the deep sea and to ensure the safe movement of passengers on various internal waterways of the country. 
END/AHS/RH/