Barisal Correspondent :Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) has started 12-day special steamer services from Dhaka on Wednesday (June 29) on the occasion of upcoming Eid -ul- Fitr festival with five vessels.The Eid special service of BIWTC vessels with regular services will continue till July 10, said Azmal Hossain, Deputy General Manager (Commercial) BIWTC head office. According to the announced Eid special schedule PS Ostrich will left Dhaka river port at 6:30 PM Wednesday June 29 under that schedule. BIWTC sources said five BIWTC vessels including four peddle wheel steamers PS Mahsud, PS Ostrich, PS Lepcha, and two screw wheel motor vessels MV Madhumoti, MV Bangali, have 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, he added.Under this schedule the BIWTC peddle steamers PS Ostrich will ply on June 29, July 2, 5, and 8 from Dhaka, July 10 from Morelganj, July 1, 4, 7 from Barisal ends.MV Madhumoti on June 30, July 3, 5 and 10 from Dhaka, July 4 and 9 from Hularhut and July 2 from Barisal ends.PS Lepcha will ply on June 30, July 1, 4 and 10 from Dhaka and July 3, 8 from Hularhut and July 10 from Barisal ends.PS Mahsud will ply on July 1, 3, 6, and 9 from Dhaka and July 2 from Morelganj, July 5, 8 from Barisal ends.MV Bangali Will ply on July 2, 4, 7, from Dhaka, July 3, 6, 9 from Barisal ends.Syed Abul Kalam Azad, assistant general manager in charge of BIWTC Barisal station, said Barisal and Narayanganj BIWTC stations has been asked to provide special tug boats and piloting services and be prepared to face any emergency calls, BIWTC official told.The passenger fare of BIWTC carriers would remain same on special trips as normal trips, BIWTC official said. Accordingly passengers of BIWTC vessels on 169-kilometer Dhaka-Barisal or Barisal-Dhaka route in a single trip have to pay Tk.1050 for one first class cabin seat, Tk.630 for one second class cabin seat and Tk.170 for each deck seat, average 40-50 percent less than Eid-trip fare of private vessels, BIWTC Barisal station manager claimed.Sea trucks of BIWTC will connect 11 stations of coastal routes under Barisal, Bhola, Laxmipur, and Noakhali, Chittagong districts including Maju Chowdhurir Hut, Manpura, Shashiganj, Ilisha, Charchenga, Boyarchar, Hatiya, Kumira and Guptachhara during Eid vacation.Three coastal ships MV Monirul Huq, MV Abdul Matin and MV Baro-Awlia of BIWTC will operate from Chittagong under regular and Eid special services to connect different destinations under Hatiya and Sandwip from July 2 to July 9.Additional ferry trips would also be activated on Paturia-Daulatdia, Mawa-Keorakandi, Chandpur – Shariatpur, Bhola-Lakshmipur and Laharhat-Veduria river routes on occasion of Eid Ul Fitr, BIWTC sources added.
