Tugboat Crew, including Indian Engineer, Stranded in Bangladesh

A tugboat named Navimar 3 has been anchored off Kutubdia Island, thirty three nautical miles south of Chittagong in Bangladesh since March last year. The vessel is maintained by a crew of seven seafarers, including an Indian engineer officer who has been stranded there with no means of getting home. His passport and certification documents are being withheld by the local agent in Bangladesh for Middle East Marine (MEM), a shipping company based in Dubai. Additionally, he has not been paid any wages by the company for the past 14 months, highlighting the issue of seafarer abandonment in the maritime industry.

Seafarer abandonment is a recurring scandal in the shadows of the maritime industry, with figures from the International Transport Workers’ Federation identifying 250 to 300 cases. The plight of the Indian engineer officer on the Navimar 3 serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by seafarers who are left stranded without pay or means of returning home. The situation raises concerns about the welfare and rights of seafarers working in the industry, as they continue to face exploitation and mistreatment.

The ongoing ordeal faced by the crew of Navimar 3 sheds light on the need for stronger regulations and enforcement mechanisms to protect the rights of seafarers. The case underscores the importance of addressing issues of seafarer abandonment and ensuring that companies are held accountable for their treatment of workers in the maritime sector. Efforts must be made to prevent such incidents from occurring and to provide support for seafarers who find themselves in vulnerable situations while carrying out their duties at sea.

Source