Sadarghat terminal goes under govt management

Bangladesh’s busiest launch terminal Sadarghat started afresh on Thursday under government management, scrapping a 43-year-old leasing system.
The government will operate the terminal on a work-based payment system called ‘Shram Jar Mojuri Tar’ (pay for work), instead of leasing it out to private operators.
The shipping minister, Shahjahan Khan, launched the new management system around 10:00am.
He was accompanied by shipping secretary Abdul Mannan Hawlader, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Agency chairman Abdul Malek Mia and other senior officials.
Shahjahan said the leasing system was in place from the terminal’s inauguration in 1967.
‘Around 50,000 people of the southern region travel through the pier every day. We had numerous incidents where passengers had to suffer and face harassment under the previous system.’
The lessees’ representatives would force money off passengers and in some cases, be compelled to pay even after carrying the luggage themselves, he added.
The minister pointed out that the new system was introduced to free the passengers from such harassment and added that hawkers and other traders on the pontoons were also involved in the extortion of passenger. Pick-pocketing and burglary was common phenomenon.
The government also did not get proper payment for the lease, he added. The government received Tk 6,818,360 from the leaseholder in 2000-1, Tk 20,526,597 in 2008-9 and Tk 12,488,360 in 2009-10 financial years.
Shahjahan said the government would be taking steps to realise unpaid dues.
The BIWTA chairman said 100 Sadarghat workers had been initially provided with enrolment and would wear sky-coloured shirts and pants with bath numbers.
The government-run body will initially charge every porter Tk 100 for one-year registration, which will be renewed every year, he added.
Every gate will have a box for passengers to drop complaints about harassments or other sufferings caused by workers. In addition, mobile phone numbers will be hung at the terminal to facilitate the filing of complaints.
BIWTA officials will take proper steps against any worker based on the complaints, he added.
A group of workers were seen agitating against the new system, alleging that even though they were regular workers, they have been left out in the new system.
They also alleged that BIWTA hired workers from outside.
The shipping minister said some problems would be there with the introduction of a new system and that these would be solved through talks with the stakeholders.

Courtesy of Bdnews24.com via NewAge