Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated two salvage vessels of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) here today. Inaugurating the two salvage ships procured by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) from South Korea, the prime minister called upon all concerned including owners and workers of the river transports to be more active in checking accidents on the river routes. She expressed the hope that the rescue vessels—BIWTA Nirvik and BIWTA Protya—would play an important role in making the river routes safer.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Shipping Secretary Syed Monjurul Islam and BIWTA Chairman Dr M Shamsudoha Khandakar spoke among others on the occasion.
On the occasion, the prime minister also opened two tug boats-Duronto and Durbar.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is a riverine country and to exploit this opportunity, her government has given special importance to the development of river communication.
“We are implementing massive programmes for maintenance and development of the river communication,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has procured the two salvage ships—BIWTA Nirvik and BIWTA Pratya—having capacity of 250 metric tons from South Korea as there were only two old rescue vessels having capacity of 60 MT to face river accidents.
The PM said like other sectors, the river transport sector was plunged into the corruption, irregularities and disorder during the rule of the BNP-Jamaat alliance government. “But after assuming office in 2009, the present government restored discipline in the sector and gave special importance to its development,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has taken a Taka 12,000 crore mega project for excavating 53 river routes aimed at reclamation and preservation of navigability of the river routes.
Under the project, she said, the work on excavation of 24 river routes is underway, while the initiatives have been taken for digging the remaining 29 river routes. “Measures have also been taken to introduce new river routes side by side with keeping old ones operative,” she said.
The prime minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first added dredgers in the BIWTA fleet for aintaining navigability. And after long 36 years, she said, the present AL government procured three more dredgers in 2012 which enhanced the capability of the BIWTA in excavating the rivers and maintaining the navigability of the river routes. “Initiatives have been taken to procure 11 more dredgers,” she said.
-With The Independent input
