After nearly 100 years of plying the rivers of Bangladesh, the glory days of the last four romantic “rocket” paddle-wheel boats appear numbered. Their worn-out engines and paddles are failing, while competition from faster modes of transport lures away their customers.
The “steamers” — now diesel-powered — still have strong points and fans. “Rocket steamer is one of the finest ways to travel through the riverine Bangladesh,” says theatre personality Aly Zaker. It is spacious, with a strong hull, no vibration or noise, and it can navigate shallow water, he adds.
Still, their fans are waning. No longer able to draw foreign and local tourists in large numbers, the steamers state-covered losses of Tk 288 per fare are becoming hard for the authorities of the water transport corporation to justify.
Unless an outside investment to cover overhaul costs is made, they say they won’t be able to cope with the losses. But a sale to the tourism industry might give them a new lease of life.
“The vintage rocket steamers have huge potential in the tourism industry,” says M Rafiqul Islam, director of Bengal Tours. “Very few paddle-wheel steamers now remain in the world. Most of them are involved in the tourism industry.
“While travelling in Bangladesh, almost every foreign tourist includes a paddle steamer trip in their itinerary. We are struggling to meet the demand,” he adds.
Huge losses on the steamers discourage the state-run Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) from continuing their operation. “The service is dragging on only because it holds a sentimental value,” says Md Mosharraf Hossain Howlader, General Manager (commerce) of BIWTC.
With white wooden cabins, beds in crispy white sheets and a range of western and local dishes served on fine china, the tranquil rocket voyage through spectacular rivers leaves a genteel memory in the minds of millions. But a long-term lack of investment is the cause of the heritage steamers’ downfall, BIWTC officials believe.
During the last fiscal year the steamer service carried about 4.5 lakh passengers, yet it incurred a loss of Tk 13 crore. BIWTC officials blame rising maintenance and fuel costs. The agency trimmed down routes and departure days to stem the losses.
Paddle steamers have run the nation’s rivers since the days of the British Raj, when they used to travel all the way to Kolkata. After independence from Pakistan, BIWTC inherited seven steamers.
Today, four — the PS Ostrich, PS Mahsud, PS Lepcha and PS Tern — operate on the Khulna, Barisal and Morelganj routes. Two were built in 1929 while the others in 1938 and 1950. The other three the Gazi, Teal and Kiwi — met their demise in the late ’90s, when fire raced through them while docked for repair work, Howlader says.
Renovations of the four in operation included conversion of the steam engine to diesel and a changing of the hull plates in 1985. Aside from a lick of paint, the paddle rockets last saw a minor refurbishment back in 1992, the BIWTC official adds.
“The bright paintwork of the exterior might make the steamers look younger, but in reality the aged paddle steamers simply cannot perform any longer,” the official adds. “Trips to dockyard for repair work is becoming more frequent,” Howlader says.
Also spare parts and experts able to diagnose the boat’s ailments are now scarce. Almost all the veteran engineers are retired.
Still, the rocket steamers manage two trips a week to Khulna and four trips to Morelganj. The Ostrich and Lepcha can carry up to 850 passengers; the other two up to 600.
“The Khulna route hardly attracts any passengers these days,” says Humayan Kabir, a ticket checker on the Ostrich, in the 345-km journey. “Sometimes there are no passengers on the deck. Tour companies are keeping the service alive in Khulna.”
Many top travel guides, including Lonely Planet, recommend a paddle steamer trip while in Bangladesh, and they have been featured on the BBC, CNN and other news services.
“It is probably the last remnant of the colonial legacy, even though it had lost the old glory. It should be revived, if not for commercial purpose, but for the huge romantic appeal it still holds,” says Zaker.
“A little investment can still resuscitate the classic vessel.”
