Over 250 speedboats and trawlers are illegally plying on different river routes in Barisal amid the risk of being caught in a nor’wester at any moment while on large rivers.
These small transports do not pay anything in tax, have no registration, fitness certificate and route permit, but are still carrying passengers, thus endangering lives every day.
They are allegedly in operation because their owners maintain liaison with Barisal port officials, river safety and traffic management authorities, river traffic police and Barisal port police.
200 locally-assembled trawlers, each with a 16 horsepower engine, were seen running commercially in different Barisal port areas.
These trawlers anchor in different landing stages like Kalibabur Ghat, Chandmari Ghat, Beltala, Taltali, Charmonai Ghat, Charkawa Ghat, Band road and Amanatganj, and transport people from and to areas, including Charmonai, Sreepur, Bukhinagar, Girail, Shibpur, Jangalia, Hazir Haat, Chandramohon, Bisherkathi, Patkathi, Dighirpar, Dhulia, Madhukhali, Baherchar, Saheber Haat, Mehendiganj, Vashan Char, Char Biswas, Char Kalmi and several others.
Besides, more than 50 speedboats, carrying 6-8 passengers each, are plying commercially on the routes from Barisal DC Ghat and Laharhat Ghat to different destinations in Barisal and Bhola.
Most of these water transports are operated by minor boys and untrained youths. They run these even when weather conditions are adverse.
Carrying passengers on these sorts of water transports having no registration and route permit is illegal, admitted Mahruf Hossain, inspector of the Shipping Ministry.
We, however, can do nothing except inform the port police of such illegal operation as any water transport with up to 16-horsepower engine do not need to be registered according to the present marine law of the country, said Abul Bashar Mazumder, deputy director, river safety and traffic management department of Barisal BIWTA.
The Dhaka Tribune talked to Abdul Gani and Abdur Rashid who own illegal speedboat and trawler. They claimed they are just providing the passengers with additional facilities to reach destinations within the shortest period. They said number of accidents and casualties involving these watercrafts are negligible compared to other water transports.
“We want route permits from the authorities concerned to run our services legally. They, however, said there is no law to legalise our transports so that we can use those for carrying passengers,” the two said.
The officer-in-charge of Barisal river port police station said they lack adequate legal capability and jurisdiction to stop operation of such transports.
These transports are popular as they can take people to destinations rather quickly compared to low-speed large water transports that often fail to maintain schedules due to fog and navigability problems, Dr Rabin Ghosh, who regularly travels by speedboat, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Sayedur Rahman Rintu, vice-president of Barisal Launch Owners Association, said earnings of legal watercraft owners have dropped by nearly 40% because of the illegal ones.