The Shipping Ministry on Wednesday has withdrawn the concerned official from Barisal for giving fitness certificate to two-time sunken launch MV Shathil-1.Passenger launch MV Shathil-1 was capsized for the second time within three months on May 3 afternoon after caught in nor-wester storm on Ramnabad River of Galachipa upazila under Patuakhali district and salvaged after 16 dead bodies were recovered on May 4 night.Md. Shahidullah, Deputy Director and Barisal River Port Officer, said they heard about withdrawal of Zulfiqar Mainuddin, Surveyor of Shipping Ministry Barisal office, but copy of the order yet not reached to his office.Mahruf Hossain, Inspector of the Shipping Ministry Barisal office, denying giving details asked to contact with ministry officials.However, Zulfiqar Mainuddin, Surveyor of Shipping Ministry Barisal office, acknowledged that he received order on Tuesday night to join in their Dhaka head office and handed over his charges to Shahriar Hossain in Barisal on Wednesday.As a surveyor I only checked the physical condition of the vessel according to the paper documents of design and structure approved by other departments and inspected by higher officials, Zulfiqar Mainuddin explained. Three separate probe committees have been formed on May 4 by the shipping ministry, BIWTA and district administration to investigate sinking of Shathil-1 and asked to submit report within seven working days, and Abul Bashar Majumdar, deputy director BIWTA (river safety and traffic management) and member of one of the 3-probe committee, said.M V Shathil-1 with 25.1 meter long, 5.49 meter wide and 1.68 meter depth body and 160 passenger carrying capacity owned by former BNP lawmaker Shahjahan Khan, was also half-drowned after a collision with Dhaka bound triple-deck motor launch MV Anchal-5 near Patuakhali river port on January 27 and salvaged on January 28, 2014. After that accident route permit of MV Shathil-1 was cancelled and the same vessel after putting colour on body named on papers as MV Satil.Then it succeeded to get route permit again and started plying on the same route from April 13, 2014 and again capsized on May 3 within 20-day of resuming fresh operation.Shahjahan Khan was sick and not available for comment, but his son Shiplu Khan, owner of Shiplu Transport, told that the vessel running with valid route permit was constructed as per approved design and specification of the shipping ministry and the launch capsized due to nor-wester storm.
