Syed Shemul Parvez :
During the Eid journey, there will be unusual pressure on the Sadarghat terminal, the largest port river of the capital, this year. About four million people from several districts of Dhaka will go to the coastal districts by waterway. But in just 12 days, there are not enough water transports to carry so many one-way passengers.
As a result, the launch deck will carry extra passengers as well as passengers on the roof and there will be a risk of chaos and unintended accidents.
In this situation, maximum precautions and strict security measures should be taken for safe sailing on Eid. This information has been highlighted in a pre-Eid report of the National Committee for Protection of Shipping, Roads and Railways. Haji Mohammad Shahid Mia, president of the organization, and Ashish Kumar Dey, general secretary, presented the report in a statement to the media on Tuesday (April 19th).
It is said that every Eid, about one and a half crore people from these three districts, including four city corporations of Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj, return home.
About 25 percent of them go by waterways, 55 percent and 20 percent go by road and rail respectively. As such, 37 lakh 50 thousand people travel by different types of boats including launches.
However, due to regular accidents, dilapidated condition of long distance roads and highways, as well as lack of ferries on the Shimulia-Banglabazar and Paturia-Daulatdia waterways, many will try to avoid the roads.
In contrast, the number of passengers on the waterway is expected to increase to about four million.
According to the report of the National Committee, BIWTA suspended the operation of 70 small launches on six waterways from Narayanganj on March 21. So this Eid, the only means for 4 million homebound passengers is the only Sadarghat terminal of Dhaka river port.
Every day 80-85 launches depart from Sadarghat terminal for various destinations through these waterways.
The report said that although the official Eid holiday will start on April 29, the Eid journey would start on April 21 from the day of closure of educational institutions.
Therefore, the BIWTA does not have the capacity to deliver four million passengers to their destinations in 12 days from that day to May 2. The statement said that due to religious emotion , those who want to be close to their relatives will run towards the village, ignoring all obstacles. This will cause serious mismanagement in the terminal, as well as the roof of the launch will be called to carry excess passengers.
Besides, the holy Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated during the flood season. For it, there may be unlimited suffering of the passengers as well as the risk of accidents.
As a result, the National Committee has suggested for increasing the number of vessels in the alternative system for safe Eid journey, proper management and strict vigilance of all concerned authorities including law and order forces.
