Staff Reporter :
A parliamentary watchdog has expressed severe dissatisfaction over the alleged passengers’ sufferings at the ghats of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) across the country.
The matter was discussed at the meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Shipping at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday where Chairman of the committee Major (rtd) Rafiqul Islam was in the chair.
Most of the lawmakers expressed their discontent in the meeting over the above issue while the committee recently has received a huge number of allegations lodged by the relevant sufferers about the passengers’ harassment.
It was alleged that brokers, launch staffs and hawkers are responsible for the passengers’ sufferings in the BIWTC ghats.
“Passengers are facing untold sufferings at launch ghats in Sadarghat and elsewhere due to staff, brokers and hawkers. The ghats also remain dirty often. JS body received a lot of allegations from the passengers in this regard. We have recommended to the ministry concerned to solve the problem
soon,” Major (rtd) Rafiqul Islam, Chairman of the committee told the journalists after attending the meeting.
The chairman said that the committee also recommended for keeping operational all the river ports seven days in a week making a coordination with the departments concerned, including National Board of Revenue.
“The committee also recommended to construct necessary infrastructures in land ports to increase exports and imports through those ports,” Major (rtd) Rafiqul Islam said.
A member of the committee said, a large number of passengers use the launch ghats, including Sadarghat, every day. The ghats in the capital Dhaka are always found crowded. The passengers do not get the required facilities.
“The launch staff make two-piece from the passengers in exchange of giving a comfortable journey. But their behaviour to the passengers is very rough. Not only that, the brokers and hawkers also hand numerous sufferings to the commuters,” he said.
The committee members, Secretary of Shipping Ministry and other officials from the ministry and Parliament Secretariat, were present.
A parliamentary watchdog has expressed severe dissatisfaction over the alleged passengers’ sufferings at the ghats of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) across the country.
The matter was discussed at the meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Shipping at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday where Chairman of the committee Major (rtd) Rafiqul Islam was in the chair.
Most of the lawmakers expressed their discontent in the meeting over the above issue while the committee recently has received a huge number of allegations lodged by the relevant sufferers about the passengers’ harassment.
It was alleged that brokers, launch staffs and hawkers are responsible for the passengers’ sufferings in the BIWTC ghats.
“Passengers are facing untold sufferings at launch ghats in Sadarghat and elsewhere due to staff, brokers and hawkers. The ghats also remain dirty often. JS body received a lot of allegations from the passengers in this regard. We have recommended to the ministry concerned to solve the problem
soon,” Major (rtd) Rafiqul Islam, Chairman of the committee told the journalists after attending the meeting.
The chairman said that the committee also recommended for keeping operational all the river ports seven days in a week making a coordination with the departments concerned, including National Board of Revenue.
“The committee also recommended to construct necessary infrastructures in land ports to increase exports and imports through those ports,” Major (rtd) Rafiqul Islam said.
A member of the committee said, a large number of passengers use the launch ghats, including Sadarghat, every day. The ghats in the capital Dhaka are always found crowded. The passengers do not get the required facilities.
“The launch staff make two-piece from the passengers in exchange of giving a comfortable journey. But their behaviour to the passengers is very rough. Not only that, the brokers and hawkers also hand numerous sufferings to the commuters,” he said.
The committee members, Secretary of Shipping Ministry and other officials from the ministry and Parliament Secretariat, were present.
