The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation starts today a 13-day special steamer services from Dhaka end and it will continue till August 17.
Source also said four BIWTC vessels — peddle wheel steamers PS Lepcha, PS Mahsud, PS Turn, and screw wheel motor vessel MV Sela — have been placed to carry passengers to Chandpur, Barisal, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Bagerhaat under this special schedules.
Every day at least one regular and one special vessel would be placed to connect different destinations of the routes for the home-bound Eid passengers, said Gopal Chandra Majumdar, assistant general manager of the BIWTC Barisal.
Under this schedule, PS Mahsud will leave Dhaka Sadar Ghat at 6:00pm today on a special trip to Morelganj of Bagerhaat and after half an hour another vessel MV Sela will also leave the same station on a regular trip of the route, he added.
Barisal and Narayanganj BIWTC stations have been asked to provide special tug boats and piloting services and be prepared for any emergency calls, the BIWTC sources said.
Gopal Chandra Majumdar said the passenger fare of BIWTC carriers would remain unchanged on special trips like other normal trips.
Accordingly passengers of BIWTC vessels on the Dhaka-Barisal-Dhaka route in single trip have to pay Tk 1050 for one first class cabin seat, Tk 640 for one second class cabin seat and Tk 170 for each deck seat in comparison of Tk 1000 to Tk 1100 for per first class cabin seat, Tk 600 per sofa and Tk 230-250 per deck seat of the private launch services on the same route.
Eight sea trucks of BIWTC will connect 11 stations of coastal routes under Barisal, Bhola, Laxmipur, Noakhali and Chittagong.
Two coastal ships will operate under regular and Eid special services to connect different destinations sucha as Hatiya, Sandwip, Chittagong, Bhola, and Barisal.
The additional ferry trips would also be activated on Paturia-Daulatdia, Mawa-Charjanajat, Chandpur -Shariatpur, Bhola-Lakshmipur and Laharhat-Veduria river routes on occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, BIWTC sources added.
On the other hand, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority in cooperation with launch owners association will also arrange 13-day launch services from August 5 to 17 on major river routes.
The routes included Chandpur, Letrabazar, Barisal, Torki, Patuakhali, Kalaia, Rangabali, Bhola, Borhanuddin, Lalmohan, Barguna, Amtali, Ichli, Madaripur, Hularhut connecting Dhaka River Port and Chandpur, Barisal, Taltatala, Ramchandrapur, Machhuakhali, Sureshwar connecting Narayanganj and Chandpur River Ports.
A committee has been also formed at every major river port with the representatives of local administration, BIWTA, BIWTC, shipping ministry, law enforcing agencies, launch owners association to prevent overloading and ensue vessels are run by trained and certified drivers, masters and crew, informed Md Shahidullah, Barisal port officer
A night hold camp opened in the port areas and passengers are requested not to left the station areas before sun rise, Barisal port officer said.
-With New Age input
