Shipping cops proposed to watch river routes

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The Department of Shipping has proposed forming shipping police to intensify patrol on river routes for strengthening enforcement of rules and checking launch disasters.

The department, which failed to check such disasters occurring every year despite various steps over the years, also requested the government to form the police wing with cops from the police department.

“We have requested the government to immediately appoint 50 police personnel for only monitoring if the vessels are following the rules,” said Shipping Department Director General Captain AKM Shafiqullah.

He said the government is sincerely considering the proposal.

According to sources in the shipping department and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, most of around 8,000 motor vessels operating at present lack the basic safety standards, which is the main reason behind high casualty in vessel capsizes.

“These vessels are operating all over the country but we are so badly equipped with manpower and logistics that we can only monitor them at major terminals like Sadarghat and Chittagong,” said Shafiqullah.

Vessels, especially passenger launches carrying extra passengers and goods, touch numerous points en route, but the department has only four inspectors to look after all the vessels.

The shipping department DG suggested updating local weather forecast during this time of year when storms are frequent. “We also proposed preventing launches from plying in the afternoon when nor’westers usually strike but the owners did not agree,” he said.

Sources said most vessel masters do not have the minimum level of qualification.

“Most of the masters are illiterate and lack proper training on how to manage a vessel in rough weathers,” said a shipping department magistrate, adding that the vessel masters are least bothered about the safety of passengers and ply launches even in inclement weather.

He said a large number of them are operating their vessels illegally, evading inspection of the vessels and getting fitness certificates. “The vessels are in a poor condition and often overloaded and they do not maintain passenger list.”

The country has numerous waterways but the authorities have paid little attention to this sector. The very few steps taken only after major disasters hardly brought about any results and disasters continue to occur as many people have no realistic option but to travel in overloaded vessels and small boats.

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