bdnews24.com :
Bangladesh brought Shah Amanat and seven other Ro-Ro ferries from Denmark in 1980. The ferry, having expired a decade ago, capsized in the Padma River as it was docking at Paturia pier in Manikganj with several vehicles on board on Wednesday.
After the unprecedented capsize of a Ro-Ro ferry, the authorities say the vessels are strong enough for services even after expiry while an expert has questioned their argument.
Bangladesh currently has 55 ferries, including 14 Roll on-Roll off or Ro-Ro vessels, which have either built-in or shore-based ramps or ferry slips that allow the cargo to be efficiently rolled on and off the vessel when in port.
Bangladesh imported two Ro-Ro ferries from China besides the eight from Denmark while the remaining four were made locally, according to Nazrul Islam Misha, a deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation or BIWTC.
Capable of carrying 25 vehicles, the 800-tonne Shah Amanat arrived at Paturia’s pier No. 5 from Rajbari’s Daulatdia around 9:30 am with 17 trucks and covered vans, a car and eight motorcycles.
The ferry started tilting when two trucks and passengers disembarked. Rescue vessel Hamza arrived at the scene to pull the ferry, but it was very heavy for the rescue vessel’s capacity. Before the rescue operation was postponed for the night, Hamza pulled out eight trucks.
Divers searched frantically for anyone stuck inside the vessel. No death was reported.
The ferry did not have a lot of passengers in it, but a few drivers, helpers and hawkers, according to witnesses.
“It’s right that the ferry is old. But no Ro-Ro ferry has ever met such an accident,” said Syed Md Tajul Islam, the chairman of BIWTC.
A ferry has an economic life of 30 years while Shah Amanat began providing service more than 35 years ago, according to him.
“But they are very strong. So the (shipping) ministry allowed to use them for 10 additional years.”
SM Ashikuzzaman, a director of BIWTC, said Shah Amanat underwent “trivial repair” in July. “It has no problem in fitness.”
But the authorities cannot extend the lifetime of a vessel in this way, argued Dr Zobair Ibn Awal, an associate professor at the naval architecture and marine engineering department of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
“In marine engineering, we don’t have a recovery term that allows the extension of a ferry’s lifespan by 10 years,” said Dr Zobair, who has been included in a seven-strong BIWTC committee to investigate the accident.
“Usually a ferry is retired after 20 to 25 years of service. It appears that the ferries are very old.”
