UNB :
Unsafe ferries and speedboats continue to ferry passengers across the mighty Meghna River from Bhola’s Ilishaghat, flouting a government ban and ignoring risks of deadly waterway accidents.
The Coast Guard seized four trawlers from the Meghna River on the Bhola-Lakshmipur route in the Ilisha Ferry Ghat area on Friday morning.
Since Eid-ul-Fitr, 11 trawlers and speedboats have been seized. But the number is paltry. Locals said a number of speedboats and at least 30-40 trawlers left Ilishaghat since morning with passengers.
A huge number of people thronged the Ilishaghat since Eid to return to their workplaces from Bhola. Although four ferries run on Ilishaghat to Bhola-Ladhipur route, the pressure of passengers is massive and people are paying little to no attention to health rules amid risks of coronavirus transmission.
But navigability crisis is forcing ferries to depend on the tides to operate on this route, further complicating the situation.
An unscrupulous syndicate of Ilisha Ferry Ghat’s lessee group is taking advantage of the situation and ferrying passengers using trawlers and speedboats – violating a government directive. They are charging Tk 300 instead of Tk 100. These trawlers or speedboats do not have any life jackets or buoys.
BIWTA sources said carrying passengers in any vessel without a license in the danger zone of the Meghna River in Bhola from March 15 to October 15 is prohibited. But illegal boats are ignoring the embargo.
Ilisha Ferry and Launch Ghat area is near the Naval Police Station and Ilisha Police Investigation Center. Coast Guard petty officer Md Shah Alam told reporters that passenger crossing in trawlers during the ongoing lockdown is completely illegal. Besides, trawlers are also banned in the danger zone of the Meghna River.
Ferrying passengers on trawlers and speedboats continue despite regular patrols by the naval police and the police of East Ilisha Investigation Center.
Mohammad Saeed Hossain, in-charge of Bhola East Ilisha Sadar Naval Police Station, said that they are taking steps to stop people from crossing the river in dangerous ways.
