UNB, Dhaka :
Stressing safe and secured marine and river transport system, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday directed the Shipping Ministry to enforce strict monitoring for ensuring proper design of marine vessels alongside ensuring other security measures to avert accidents especially in rainy season.
“The marine vessels shall be built following proper design so that those could stay afloat in inclement weather like storm… the mentality to make windfall profit by taking passengers in excess of capacity and erecting too many cabins often cause too many accidents,” she said.
The Prime Minister’s directive and observation came in her introductory speech to the high officials of the Ministry of Shipping and its associate bodies at the Ministry conference room in the Secretariat yesterday.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and Secretary Syed Monzurul Islam also spoke on the occasion.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the automation and video conferencing system, talking with the high officials of Chittagong Port Authority, Mongla Port Authority and Chittagong Marine Academy through video conferencing.
Apart from formulating proper design of the marine vessels to ensure safety of the passengers and goods transportation, Hasina also stressed imparting proper training to those who operate vessels, proper navigation, having sufficient number of life buoy and small boats alongside continuous strict monitoring from the authorities concerned.
Mentioning that the number of river accidents have now declined significantly due to the proactive measures of the Ministry, she said that not only maintaining the river navigability, but also ensuring a ‘safe passenger and goods transportation system’ is also very important for which the present government has procured two more rescue vessels.
She, however, termed the recent launch accident (Pinak-6) as unfortunate, saying that perhaps there were no life buoys in that vessel.
In this connection, the Prime Minister alleged that
the sons of the former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson were engaged in marine vessel (launch) business without ensuring proper security measures.
Noting that the River Buriganga is on the brink of death because of pollution, she asked the Ministry to see that no more rivers in the country face such a predicament.
Hasina emphasized taking effective steps so that none could by any means encroach on the river banks as well as taking steps for freeing all the rivers around the cities and towns from pollution side by side maintaining river navigability.
She said, that smooth flow of the country’s rivers must be ensured to keep Bangladesh alive.
Highlighting her government’s various steps to save River Buriganga from pollution, the Prime Minister underscored setting up few treatment plants alongside improving the waste management system.
She also noted that apart from ensuring capital dredging in River Karnaphuli, it should be ensured that wastage from Chittagong City Corporation and oil from the marine vessels do not pollute in the river.
Highlighting the government steps in the marine sector and to further activate the river routes, Hasina said some 8 lakh cubic meter river ways have been dredged while 4 lakh cubic meter have been excavated while work is underway for dredging 36 rivers as part of a Tk 12,000 crore mega plan to restore navigability of 53 rivers.
“We think that initially there should be capital dredging in all rivers, which should be followed by maintenance dredging every year.”
She added that there has been massive work for ensuring infrastructural development of Mongla Port, dredging of the Poshur channel, supply of drinking water at Mongla Port, construction of residential building and taking project, titled ‘Oil Spill Impact and Response Management’.
The Prime Minister also directed the Shipping Ministry to take initiatives to further develop the country’s land ports to augment revenue generation.
She said, that her government has framed a draft for coastal shipping agreement with India and once the deal is signed, international trade would increase to a large extent while initiative has been taken to strike similar deals with Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
She mentioned that Bangladesh has signed various international conventions and protocols in the maritime sector while IMO has given ‘B’ category membership to Bangladesh alongside signing of deal on ‘Certificate of Competency’ with European Union, Ghana, Italy and Malaysia.
Following these agreements, she said, the country’s sailors would be able find jobs in those countries.
About the relocation of the tannery industries in Savar, Hasina said work for setting up the Tannery Industrial Estate is going on in Savar while the tannery industry owners have been given ultimatum to relocate their industries.
Stressing safe and secured marine and river transport system, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday directed the Shipping Ministry to enforce strict monitoring for ensuring proper design of marine vessels alongside ensuring other security measures to avert accidents especially in rainy season.
“The marine vessels shall be built following proper design so that those could stay afloat in inclement weather like storm… the mentality to make windfall profit by taking passengers in excess of capacity and erecting too many cabins often cause too many accidents,” she said.
The Prime Minister’s directive and observation came in her introductory speech to the high officials of the Ministry of Shipping and its associate bodies at the Ministry conference room in the Secretariat yesterday.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and Secretary Syed Monzurul Islam also spoke on the occasion.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the automation and video conferencing system, talking with the high officials of Chittagong Port Authority, Mongla Port Authority and Chittagong Marine Academy through video conferencing.
Apart from formulating proper design of the marine vessels to ensure safety of the passengers and goods transportation, Hasina also stressed imparting proper training to those who operate vessels, proper navigation, having sufficient number of life buoy and small boats alongside continuous strict monitoring from the authorities concerned.
Mentioning that the number of river accidents have now declined significantly due to the proactive measures of the Ministry, she said that not only maintaining the river navigability, but also ensuring a ‘safe passenger and goods transportation system’ is also very important for which the present government has procured two more rescue vessels.
She, however, termed the recent launch accident (Pinak-6) as unfortunate, saying that perhaps there were no life buoys in that vessel.
In this connection, the Prime Minister alleged that
the sons of the former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson were engaged in marine vessel (launch) business without ensuring proper security measures.
Noting that the River Buriganga is on the brink of death because of pollution, she asked the Ministry to see that no more rivers in the country face such a predicament.
Hasina emphasized taking effective steps so that none could by any means encroach on the river banks as well as taking steps for freeing all the rivers around the cities and towns from pollution side by side maintaining river navigability.
She said, that smooth flow of the country’s rivers must be ensured to keep Bangladesh alive.
Highlighting her government’s various steps to save River Buriganga from pollution, the Prime Minister underscored setting up few treatment plants alongside improving the waste management system.
She also noted that apart from ensuring capital dredging in River Karnaphuli, it should be ensured that wastage from Chittagong City Corporation and oil from the marine vessels do not pollute in the river.
Highlighting the government steps in the marine sector and to further activate the river routes, Hasina said some 8 lakh cubic meter river ways have been dredged while 4 lakh cubic meter have been excavated while work is underway for dredging 36 rivers as part of a Tk 12,000 crore mega plan to restore navigability of 53 rivers.
“We think that initially there should be capital dredging in all rivers, which should be followed by maintenance dredging every year.”
She added that there has been massive work for ensuring infrastructural development of Mongla Port, dredging of the Poshur channel, supply of drinking water at Mongla Port, construction of residential building and taking project, titled ‘Oil Spill Impact and Response Management’.
The Prime Minister also directed the Shipping Ministry to take initiatives to further develop the country’s land ports to augment revenue generation.
She said, that her government has framed a draft for coastal shipping agreement with India and once the deal is signed, international trade would increase to a large extent while initiative has been taken to strike similar deals with Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
She mentioned that Bangladesh has signed various international conventions and protocols in the maritime sector while IMO has given ‘B’ category membership to Bangladesh alongside signing of deal on ‘Certificate of Competency’ with European Union, Ghana, Italy and Malaysia.
Following these agreements, she said, the country’s sailors would be able find jobs in those countries.
About the relocation of the tannery industries in Savar, Hasina said work for setting up the Tannery Industrial Estate is going on in Savar while the tannery industry owners have been given ultimatum to relocate their industries.
