Reasons for most accidents on rivers almost the same

800 passengers drowned in a single accident on July 8, 2003
Speakers at a discussion meeting demanded that July 8 be declared the Safe Waterway Day to commemorate the 800 passengers of MV Nasreen who drowned to death after it capsized in the confluence of Padma and Meghna on this day in 2003.
Negligence, incompetence, lack of professionalism and corruption by the concerned authorities, owners and workers of the river vessels were the major causes of frequent accidents on the rivers, according to an analysis of probe reports.
Analysts of the Safe Water Way Implementation Movement, after reviewing some probe reports on accidents on country’s rivers till 1985, said that most of the recommendations by the probe reports were almost the same, with only minor differences.
Aminur Rasul and Jibanananda Jayanta, member secretary and joint secretary of the organization respectively, presented the summary of their findings at a discussion meeting in the National Press Club on Thursday.
‘Every probe report on the accidents from now on should be made public and the accused should be brought to book and given exemplary punishment,’ said the analysts.
They also criticized the inadequate allocation for water transport in the national budgets and said, ‘Passenger transportation on the waterways is neglected though around 30 per cent of the people of Bangladesh, according to the World Bank’s report, travel by launches and trawlers.’
They urged the government to give more importance to this sector.
Speakers at the meeting also urged the government to implement the ten recommendations placed in the meeting of shipping ministry after two consecutive accidents in May 2002. Introducing higher technology and insurance for every vehicle, proper training of the masters, amendment of the Inland Shipping Ordinance 1976 and other related laws were some of the recommendations.
Member secretary of the organization’s Dhaka Committee Fayez Hossain, general secretary of Nagarik Sanghati Sharifuzzaman Sharif, journalist Swapan Bhuiya and garment sector workers’ union leader Bahraine Sultan Bahar also addressed the discussion meeting which was chaired by Ashish Kumer Dey.
The programme was organized in cooperation with the Protect and Progress Foundation and Unnayan Dhara Trust.
On the rivers 535 devastating accidents with around six thousand deaths took place till 1985, and 863 probe committees submitted their reports on the accidents.

Courtesy of NewAge