Bangladesh News

Launch operators in country’s southern parts continue to defy the restriction on carrying excess passengers as people are returning from Eid holiday to their work places with the tragic Bhola launch capsize still fresh in their minds. It left 85 passengers dead.

Similar practice of carrying passengers much beyond the capacity of launches and other modes of passenger vessels is also visible on the Mawa-Kawrakandi route in the Padma River.

Launch owners and port authorities, however, are blaming each other for the failure to check overloading, which is solely responsible for accidents in the waterways and such accidents take place more during rush hours especially before and after the Eid vacation.

Quoting sources in the launch owners’ association and passengers, our Barisal correspondent reported yesterday that Dhaka-bound MV Suravi-7, Suravi-8, MV Dwipraj, MV Parabat-7, MV Parabat-11, MV Sundarban-7 and Sundarban-8 left Barisal Thursday night with each carrying 3,000 passengers on average while they have capacity of accommodating only 1025 to 1300.

A mobile court formed by local administration led by Ahsan Habib, nezarat deputy collector (NDC), fined Sundarban-7, Suravi-7 and Parabat-11 Tk 5,000 each for carrying passengers beyond their capacity.

A correspondent from Madaripur reports: Several hundred launches and other water transports are plying the Mawa-Kawrakandi route with passengers in much higher numbers than their capacity and the allegation is rife that launch operators are doing this in connivance with a section of officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

Sources in BIWTA, however, said as a lot of people after Eid vacation are returning to Dhaka and other places around the capital, the launch operators are taking the advantage of the rush.

A total of 82 launches, more than 300 speedboats and over 50 engine-run trawlers are plying the route. All of them are carrying excessive passengers. Even, speedboats and trawlers were found plying at night without lights though they are not allowed on the long route.

“An official of Kawrakandi Port charges Tk 200 illegally from each launch,” said a high official of the jetty committee of Kawrakandi. The officials also take money from the launch owners association, he said requesting anonymity.

When asked Kawrakandi Port official Babulal Baidya denied such allegation and said there are manpower shortage and the apprehension of locals’ attack, which is why they cannot check overloading.

The trawlers should be refrained from plying, he said, adding that he has asked the administration concerned to check overloading but the response is yet to come.

Shibchar Police Station Officer-in-charge Abdul Jalil said police were deployed to check overloading but the fact is that the number of transports is simply inadequate for huge number of passengers.

Our Munshiganj correspondent reports: A huge traffic gridlock was created at the Mawa jetty in Louhajang causing immense sufferings to the passengers returning from their village homes after spending Eid vacation.