The private vessel owners have initiated a 13-day Eid special launch service on the Dhaka-Barisal route with a 25% increased fare.
At least 11 special vessels has hit the water route from the Dhaka end on Thursday to carry the home-bound passengers, with 15 such vessel ready to embark on the Eid special trip.
Owner of triple decker “Sundarbans” Launch Fleet, Saidur Rahman Rintu, also Central Vice-President of Launch Owners' Association, said normally 4-5 triple decker launches carried passengers every day on the Dhaka-Barisal route.
On the occasion of Eid ul-Azha, the number of launches had been increased only to accommodate the growing number of passengers, he said.
Sources said the launch cabin tickets had already been sold out before the trip started, despite the fact that advance booking was prohibited.
Rintu said they might witness a mad rush of passengers on October 2,3,4,5 from Dhaka and October 8,9,10,11 from Barisal ends.
Passengers of private triple-decker launches have to pay an excessive fare amounting to Tk1,100 for per first class cabin ticket, Tk600 for sofa seat and Tk250 for a seat on the deck.
“We have fixed the fare only for two weeks before and after Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Azha, in line with the fare chart fixed by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority,” said Saidur Rahman Rintu.
He also said the realisation of excessive fares helped to cover the losses the vehicle owners incur around the year.
Abul Bashar Majumdar, deputy director (river safety and traffic management)) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Barisal office, said: “The port authorities have completed all the formalities to ensure the safety of the passengers.”
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) started a 14-day special steamer services from Wednesday on the route on the occasion of Durga Puja and Eid-ul-Azha festivals with six vessels.
The BIWTC sources said six peddle wheel steamers PS Ostrich, PS Lepcha, PS Mahsud, PS Turn, and screw wheel motor vessels MV Sela and MV Bangali had been placed to carry passengers to their respective destinations connecting Chandpur, Barisal, Jhalakathi, Hularhut of Pirojpur and Morelganj of Bagerhaat districts under this special schedule.
