Leaders of the launch owners’ association on Sunday decided to pick up passengers in the middle of the River Buriganga and avoid using Sadarghat pontoons in protest at continued harassment by the pontoon leaseholder.
The owners in the afternoon started picking up passengers in the mid-river after ferrying them from the terminal in boats amid risks and the passengers needed to pay Tk 10 extra, witnesses said.
The launch owners said they had decided to pick up passengers in the mid-river after the manger of the MV Tipu, Faruq Khan, had been assaulted in the morning.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation officials said 15 launches picked up passengers at pontoon before 2:30pm but 20 others left for their destinations after picking up passengers in the mid-river till the evening.
But witnesses said passengers got into launches in the mid-river till 9:00pm.
Lunch owner Golam Kibria Tipu, also a Jatiya Party lawmaker, said miscreants had manhandled the launch workers, officials and passengers for a few days.
The Bangladesh Inland Waterways (Passenger Carriers) Association’s senior vice-chairman Badiuzzaman Badal said, ‘We informed the administration several times of the matter but no steps had been taken to resolve the issue. Now we are avoiding using the pontoon to protect ourselves.’
