Ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, four Ansar members have been deployed on each launch starting from Sunday to ensure the safe and uninterrupted travel of homebound passengers via waterways.
They will continue their duties for two days after Eid as well.
On Sunday morning, the Public Relations Officer of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Md Shahadat Hossain confirmed the decision.
Additionally, a ban has been imposed on the movement of speedboats at night and bulkheads for 24 hours from March 26 to April 5 for ten days, he added.
He further mentioned that a total of 24 decisions and directives have been issued, which are as follows:
- No extra fare can be charged for waterway travel during the upcoming Eid journey. Each launch must display the government-approved fare chart in a designated place. Otherwise, legal action will be taken against the owners.
- If any complaints of carrying passengers beyond capacity are received, strict action will be taken against those responsible. In addition to fines, the route permit of the launch may be canceled. No unfit watercraft will be allowed to operate.
- No launch or ferry can break the serial order while operating. The Department of Shipping and relevant authorities have been directed to monitor this strictly.
- Laborers, porters, and handlers at Sadarghat or other leased terminals cannot harass passengers or charge extra fees. Authorized porters or laborers must wear uniforms and display nameplates provided by their leaseholders. BIWTA and other administrative agencies have been instructed to supervise this matter.
- To ensure the overall security of waterway passengers, the deployment of Ansar members has been mandated on night-traveling launches. Each long-distance night-traveling launch must have four Ansar members for security. If this is not followed, or in the event of an accident, the owners will be held responsible.
- Staff working on launches or ferry terminals must wear designated uniforms and carry ID cards.
- Special patrols by the Bangladesh Navy, in addition to the Coast Guard and Naval Police, will be deployed in crime-prone areas such as the Shitalakshya River in Narayanganj, Gajaria in Munshiganj, and the Meghna River in Barisal.
- The operation of speedboats at night will be completely prohibited, and bulkhead movement will be banned from March 26 to April 5, both day and night. The Naval Police, Coast Guard, and Navy will work together to ensure security on the waterways.
- From the 15th day of Ramadan, the road from Dhaka’s Zero Point to Sadarghat must remain open. Buses cannot be parked haphazardly. Law enforcement will strictly monitor this and remove violating buses if necessary.
- To ensure passenger safety, local administrations such as district administration, upazila administration, district police, Naval Police, and Coast Guard should take effective measures at each terminal.
- Awareness programs must be conducted regarding sabotage and security threats. The overall situation should be monitored from the watchtower at Dhaka River Port with a duty roster involving various agencies.
- The launch owners' association has been instructed to collect a copy of passengers’ National ID (NID) while issuing tickets.
- Precautionary announcements and river safety notices should be broadcasted through microphones, displayed on monitor screens at terminals, and shown on launch TV screens.
- For security concerns, passengers should contact the national emergency hotline number 999 and the BIWTA passenger service hotline number 16113. These numbers must be widely publicized. Additionally, BIWTA's control room number, hotline number, and the names, mobile numbers, and email addresses of two designated officials from the headquarters and Dhaka River Port should be shared with the Meteorological Department.
- Adequate dustbins should be installed at Sadarghat and launches. Public awareness campaigns should discourage waste disposal in the river, on pontoons, or gangways. Leaseholders of terminals must deploy volunteers to maintain cleanliness.
- Rescue vessels should be kept ready to assist in case of any waterway accidents.
- The Fire Service and Civil Defense Department must remain vigilant and ensure rapid fire prevention measures at Dhaka River Port and other key river ports. Floating fire stations can be set up if needed.
- According to the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act 2005, smoking is prohibited on public transport, including launches. Awareness campaigns on this should be conducted.
- The movement of tankers, launches, coaster barges, and other vessels should be regulated to avoid chaotic navigation on the rivers.
- Launches arriving at Sadarghat must dock in an orderly manner following the prescribed rules. Those violating the rules will face journey cancellations and legal actions.
- Watercraft must operate at a safe speed, adhering to BIWTA’s speed limit of 6 nautical miles between Sadarghat and Fatullah and other routes’ prescribed limits.
- Each launch up to 120 feet in length can carry a maximum of 2 motorcycles. Launches between 120 feet and 200 feet can carry up to 4 motorcycles, while launches between 201 feet and 300 feet can carry up to 6 motorcycles. Considering the weight and size, the transport fare for each motorcycle from Dhaka to Chandpur will be Tk300, and for the return journey, Tk500.
- As the nor'wester (Kalbaishakhi) storm season is ongoing, utmost caution must be maintained in waterway navigation.
- For the safe movement of passengers, executive magistrates from BIWTA and the respective district administration may conduct mobile courts.
