Two triple-decker launches collided head-on in the Meghna River early on Sunday while plying the Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal route in Harina, Chandpur, due to dense fog, injuring at least eight people.
The two launches involved were the Dhaka-bound MV Kirtankhola-10 and the Barisal-bound MV Prince Awlad-10.
Hundreds of passengers and crew members aboard both vessels narrowly escaped injury during the incident, which left the front parts of both launches damaged.
Md Abdur Razzak, deputy director and River Port Officer at the BIWTA, said no one was seriously injured to his knowledge.
Special arrangements were made to transport passengers from the Barisal-bound MV Prince Awlad-10 to Barisal river port via the MV Shubhraj-9 launch.
Razzak added that the accident was believed to have been caused by dense fog.
Both launch captains have been summoned for questioning, and further details will be provided once they respond.
He said while there was no major damage, the front sections of both vessels were affected.
According to passengers, between 2:30am and 2:45am, a loud noise suddenly woke everyone up in the dense fog. Panic ensued as passengers feared the launches might sink. In the fog, the location was unidentifiable.
They called for an investigation into how such an accident occurred, especially given that both launches were equipped with modern naval equipment, including fog lights, radar, echo sounders, and VHF radios.
They expressed concern that if the vessels had sustained damage to the hull, hundreds of passengers could have drowned in the Meghna.
Nazmul Alam Nabin, senior assistant secretary at the Planning Commission, recalled his experience aboard the MV Kirtankhola-10 with his family.
“We were panicked by the loud noise and jerking. The cabin fan fell on my wife, causing a minor injury,” Nabin said.
Ismail Hossain, joint director of the Maritime Safety and Traffic Management Department of Dhaka Sadarghat, said MV Kirtankhola-10 safely reached Dhaka later that morning, though it was delayed.
The 580 passengers of the MV Prince Awlad-10 were transferred to the MV Shubhraj-9 and arrived at Barisal Ghat 6 to 7 hours later than scheduled, he added.
Monir Hossain, a passenger aboard the MV Kirtankhola-10 mentioned that in addition to the damage to MV Kirtankhola-10, over 20 motorcycles belonging to passengers were also damaged in the incident.