NEWS reports said over 80 bodies were recovered so far while many others still remained missing from last Sunday’s launch capsize in the River Padma and analysts say it is not the first nor the last one to happen given the frequency of such incidents over the past 38 years. Figure presented by Department of Shipping and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) shows at least 4,420 people died, 520 injured and 400 remained missing over the period from at least 550 reported launch drownings. But it appears to be a conservative figure as launch owners’ sources recently quoted it at 658 accidents and the number of deaths over 5,500. This is still on the lower side as most people believe a sense of cover up is always at work. Moreover the alarming fact is that launch accidents are only going on unabated while people had expected that the government would take lessons from past tragedies and put in place drastic safety measures to reduce it. Most people now wonder why we have a ministry of shipping and the BWITA authority when they are visibly doing nothing to improve the situation. The minister is rather busy in doing politics with road transport workers and garment workers without taking care of passengers drowning in the river. We hold him personally responsible for the tragedies however without knowing if he cares about it. People now believe it is rather a deliberate killing by way of neglect of the authorities to passengers safety where financial interest of powerful launch owners are conflicting with passengers life. It appears that BIWTA authorities are issuing fitness certificates to vessels, which were built in the past, or even now bypassing standard structural design to please the powerful quarters. Passengers’ unawareness and launch owners’ greed for overload are also some other factors for accidents. But here the regulatory authorities are equally responsible for it as they equally benefit from the mischief. Reports said both the vessels involved in the latest accident at Paturia in River Padma were unfit and their unskilled masters were not watchful when they collided causing the launch to capsize. Moreover the cargo vessel was upgraded to coastal grade without proper engineering layout. The passenger launch was also converted to steel body recently, which was originally made of wood about 50 years ago. Since a powerful ruling party man owned the launch, the BIWTA allowed it to carry passengers ignoring operational risks.As it happens the government always set up committees to probe into the accidents but the authorities do not punish violators who issue fitness certificates to faulty vessels. Most people now believe that powerful quarters are using the river transport system with total impunity to mint money while people are drowning from the government neglect. The situation may only improve if the government wants to deal with the racket, however it seems unlikely at the moment.But one thing is sure that people who are being drowned too frequently for absence of ministerial supervision to make river transport safe are in fact killed and the minister in charge of water transport has to defend himself as killer. It will be good for him if he remembers his responsibility toward people who are helplessly dying in hundreds.
