The seven-month-long restriction on plying of passenger carrying water transports, including launches and trawlers, on risky four routes in the Meghna River estuary and coastal areas will come into effect from Friday.
The restriction was imposed by shipping ministry from March 15 to October 15 because of nor’wester, cyclone and storm during the monsoon in the river estuaries and coastal belts in the southern region, said Maruf Hossain, inspector, shipping directorate office in Barisal.
The routes touching major stations are Shabajpur, Mozuchowdhurir Hat, Daulatkhan, Mirzakalu, Char Alexander, Serajganj, Shashiganj, Betua, Aslampur, Buriabon, Barguna, Patharghata, Baro Machuakati on Meghna, Ilisha, Kocha, Baleswar, Bishkhali, Tentulia and Bura Gourango.
The 210-day restriction was first imposed by the sea transportation directorate on June 18, 2000 following some fatal launch and trawler accidents in previous years in the areas on about 3000 kilometers long routes which touched at least 26 stations, said Mahruf.
“This region is vulnerable due to natural calamities like cyclone, storm and nor-wester,” said Abul Bashar Majumdar, deputy director, BIWTA and river safety and traffic management in-charge of Barisal port.
“The ban, without an arrangement of alternative transportation will confine a large number of people to islands and endanger their lives because of travel by unsafe small transports,” he said.
Md Shahidullah, Barisal river port officer and deputy director BIWTA, said the ban on plying passenger transports without having valid license or sea-survey fitness was to save the life of the travellers.
“Considering the shortage of vessels in the danger zone during the time, we were trying to manage four BIWTC sea trucks soon,” said Gopal Chandra Majumdar, assistant manager, BIWTC Barisal station.
Sea trucks named-ST Shahid Fazlul Huq Moni on Char Alexandar-Mirzakalu route, ST Sukanta Babu/Sheikh Kamal on Manpura-Shashiganj route, ST Khizir-7 on Ilisha-Maju Chowdhury route and ST Khizir-8 on Barisal-Maju Chowdhury route would be placed on the danger-zone areas, he said.