Barishal Correspondent :
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) starts 13-day special steamer services from Dhaka-end August 08 on occasion of upcoming Eid- ul -Azha festival with five vessels.
The Eid-ul-Azha special service of BIWTC vessels with regular services will continue till August 20, said Syed Abul Kalam Azad, assistant general manager ( commercial/ passenger) BIWTC at Barishal station.
Five BIWTC vessels including three peddle wheel steamers PS Mahsud, PS Lepcha, PS Turn and two screw wheel motor vessels MV Madhumoti, MV Bangali, would be placed to carry passengers from Dhaka.
The vessels will connect to their respective destinations at Chandpur, Barishal, Jhalakathi, Hularhut of Pirojpur and Morelganj of Bagerhut districts under this special schedule, he added.
According to the announced schedule MV Modhumati and PS Turn will leave Dhaka River Port at 6:30 and 7:00 PM August 08 Thursday evening.
Besides, under this schedule the BIWTC peddle steamers PS Turn will ply on Augusts 08, 12, 16 from Dhaka, 09 from Baro Machhua of Morelganj and 14, 18 from Barishal river port.
MV Madhumoti will ply on August 08, 11, 15 from Dhaka and 10, 13, 17 from Barishal river port.
MV Bangali on August 09, 14, and 18 will ply from Dhaka, 11, 16, 20 from Barishal river port.
PS Lepcha on August 10, 17 from Dhaka and 11 from Baro Machhua, 16 and 19 from Barishal end.
PS Mahsud on August 10, 13, 17 from Dhaka, 12, 15, 17 from Barishal port.
Syed Abul Kalam Azad, Assistant General Manager- In- Charge of BIWTC Barishal station, said BIWTC stations at Barishal and Narayanganj have been asked to provide special tug boats and piloting services and be prepared to face any emergency calls.
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-Barishal or Barishal-Dhaka route in a single trip have to pay Tk.1050 for one first class cabin seat, Tk.630 for one second class cabin(equivalent to first class of private launches) seat and Tk.170 for each deck seat, average 40-80 percent less than private water transport operators, BIWTC Barishal station manager added.
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, BIWTC officials added.
Two coastal ships MV Monirul Huq and MV Baro-Awlia of BIWTC will operate passenger services from Chittagong to connect different destinations under Hatiya and Sandwip from August 08 to 17.
Waterbus services of BIWTC will ply regularly from Sadarghat / Badamtali- Gabtal-Sadarghat and Narayanganj-Tongi-Narayanganj routes during Eid vacation.
Additional ferry trips would also be activated on Paturia-Daulatdia, Mawa-Keorakandi, Chandpur – Shariatpur, Bhola-Lakshmipur and Laharhat-Veduria, and Lebukhali river crossing on occasion of Eid- ul- Azha, BIWTC Chairman Pronoy Kanti Biswas added.
