Barishal Correspondent :
Heavy rush of Eid passengers returning from native area to work place crowded Barishal Port area on Saturday.
Many private launch passengers missed their trips as overloaded vessels forced to leave the port earlier than scheduled time.
Sixteen triple-deck launches and two steamers left Barisal for Dhaka on Saturday evening and night.
Ajmol Huda Mithu, Deputy Director (Marine Safety and River Traffic) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Barisal River Port, said as per their assumptions more than four lakh passengers arrived Barisal trough waterways to observe Eid vacations this year.
A large number of Eid passengers left Barisal on Friday to avoid heavy rush. But most of the vacationers wanted to stay with their dearest and nearest ones till last moment of the weekly holiday, so the rush of Dhaka-bound passengers mostly seen on Saturday, he added.
He said a control room opened at the terminal to monitor the situation and volunteers helping the port authority for safe boarding of female, children and old-aged passengers on due vessels.
Administrative officials with huge numbers of police, armed battalions and RAB engaged in duty to tackle the situation.
Cabin passengers of the launches requested to take seat from 3:00 PM, the 5-6 hours before the scheduled time, as the port authority asked the overloaded launches to leave the station two to three hours before the scheduled time.
Saidur Rahman Rintu, Vice President of Barisal Launch Owners Association, acknowledging the facts said capacity of each of the 16 triple-deck launches plying on regular and special Eid service on Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal river route was limited from 750 to 1,300 passengers per-launch.
However, those plied on Saturday night with 2,500-4000 passengers on board with great risk and dangers for the transport, life and properties of the owners and passengers, Rintu acknowledged.
Passengers alleged, even after reaching at the port within regular time scheduled for departure of Dhaka bound water transports, failed to board on the vessels as law enforcing agency ordered to sail overloaded launches earlier for safety and security of the passengers.
Rina Sultana, member of a team of garment workers, said they took the risk of boarding on overloaded launches as there was no alternative which has the lowest fare and easiest journey without affecting working hour.
Mafidul Islam, a private company official came Barisal ghat with all the eight members of his family from Mehendiganj upazila said Sunday would be his working day and so he managed some narrow space on the deck of Parabat-11 by paying Tk.200 to a space-preserver.
Abul Kalam Azad, assistant general manager Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Barisal station, said it proved insufficient to tackle rush of Eid-passengers . However two BIWTC vessels PS Lepcha and MV Bangalee left Barisal port for Dhaka safely.
Heavy rush of Eid passengers returning from native area to work place crowded Barishal Port area on Saturday.
Many private launch passengers missed their trips as overloaded vessels forced to leave the port earlier than scheduled time.
Sixteen triple-deck launches and two steamers left Barisal for Dhaka on Saturday evening and night.
Ajmol Huda Mithu, Deputy Director (Marine Safety and River Traffic) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Barisal River Port, said as per their assumptions more than four lakh passengers arrived Barisal trough waterways to observe Eid vacations this year.
A large number of Eid passengers left Barisal on Friday to avoid heavy rush. But most of the vacationers wanted to stay with their dearest and nearest ones till last moment of the weekly holiday, so the rush of Dhaka-bound passengers mostly seen on Saturday, he added.
He said a control room opened at the terminal to monitor the situation and volunteers helping the port authority for safe boarding of female, children and old-aged passengers on due vessels.
Administrative officials with huge numbers of police, armed battalions and RAB engaged in duty to tackle the situation.
Cabin passengers of the launches requested to take seat from 3:00 PM, the 5-6 hours before the scheduled time, as the port authority asked the overloaded launches to leave the station two to three hours before the scheduled time.
Saidur Rahman Rintu, Vice President of Barisal Launch Owners Association, acknowledging the facts said capacity of each of the 16 triple-deck launches plying on regular and special Eid service on Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal river route was limited from 750 to 1,300 passengers per-launch.
However, those plied on Saturday night with 2,500-4000 passengers on board with great risk and dangers for the transport, life and properties of the owners and passengers, Rintu acknowledged.
Passengers alleged, even after reaching at the port within regular time scheduled for departure of Dhaka bound water transports, failed to board on the vessels as law enforcing agency ordered to sail overloaded launches earlier for safety and security of the passengers.
Rina Sultana, member of a team of garment workers, said they took the risk of boarding on overloaded launches as there was no alternative which has the lowest fare and easiest journey without affecting working hour.
Mafidul Islam, a private company official came Barisal ghat with all the eight members of his family from Mehendiganj upazila said Sunday would be his working day and so he managed some narrow space on the deck of Parabat-11 by paying Tk.200 to a space-preserver.
Abul Kalam Azad, assistant general manager Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Barisal station, said it proved insufficient to tackle rush of Eid-passengers . However two BIWTC vessels PS Lepcha and MV Bangalee left Barisal port for Dhaka safely.
