Officials on Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authourity (BIWTA) met with the representatives of Launch Owners Association, law enforcing agencies and administration to discuss about ensuring safety for the both vessels and passengers on Tuesday noon.
The meeting held at conference room of the Barisal River Port Building. The meeting addressed among others by Md. Shahidullah , deputy director ( port and transportation), Abul Bashar Majumdar, deputy director, Khaza Sadikur Rahman, assistant director ( river safety and traffic) of BIWTA, Ajijul Huq Akkas, Sheikh Md. Rahim, leaders of launch owners association, M A Rouf, Coast Guard contingent commanders .
Abul Bashar Majumdar, BIWTA deputy director, said they asked the water transport owners to follow the river safety measure according to the conditions of route permit and vessel survey certificate.
The owners also asked to preserve updated documents about route permit, fitness and survey certificate, sufficient safety equipments like buoys, fire extinguisher on vessels, operating vessels by licensed, trained, uniformed wearing manpower, carrying passenger and goods within the limitations of capacity avoiding overloading to ensure safety and security of the passengers and vessels, Abul Bashar Majumdar said.
Md. Shahidullah, deputy director BIWTA, said they asked the vessel owners to operate fit vessels as per direction of the survey certificate and route permit, carrying radio to follow weather forecasting.
Azijul Huq Akkas, vessel owner’s association leader, asked the authourity to ensure smooth navigability of river routes, setting proper markings about depth, under water shoals and danger points, broadcasting regional weather reports, free the river routes from spreading fishing nets, arranging safe berthing and vacant port pontoons from makeshift shops and hawkers.
In reply BIWTA and law enforcing agency officials said they will try their best to free the port pontoons from makeshift shops and hawkers, arrange sufficient space for safe berthing of the vessels and ensure navigability of river routes with proper safety markings.
