Seven crew members of the bulk carrier MV Al Bakhera were brutally murdered by fellow crewman Akash Mondal Irfan, allegedly driven by frustration over unpaid wages and prolonged mistreatment, said the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
"The accused sedated the victims using sleeping pills and then stabbed them to death," said Lieutenant Colonel Munim Ferdous, director of RAB's legal and media wing, following the arrest of the suspect in Bagerhat earlier on Wednesday (25 December).
Investigators revealed that Akash procured three blister packs of sleeping pills from a market in Pabna while gathering supplies for the vessel.
The sedatives were used to incapacitate the victims before the murders were carried out with a Chinese axe, a safety tool kept onboard the ship, according to RAB officials.
RAB announced plans to hold a press briefing later on Wednesday to provide further details.
The harrowing incident occurred early Monday aboard the fertiliser-laden vessel, which had run aground in the Haimchar area of the Meghna River in Chandpur.
Responding to an emergency call to the 999 helpline, a team from the Chandpur River Police reached the vessel around 3pm the same day and discovered five bodies in the crew quarters, said Superintendent of Chandpur River Police Mushfiqur Rahman.
The lone survivor, Jewel Rana, a 23-year-old from Faridpur, was found critically injured with his throat slit. He was rushed to Dhaka for advanced medical treatment.
The grim discovery and the subsequent arrest have sent shockwaves through the maritime community, raising questions about labour conditions and safety onboard vessels. Further investigations are underway.
