Govt's blind eye to death trap

This question is now being asked by vessel operators and people here after the July 10 launch disaster in the Meghna that claimed several hundred lives.

The 159km Barisal-Dhaka route becomes virtually a death trap for passengers at night mainly due to very poor signalling system, Idris Ali, Master of triple-decker MV Emdad Khan said.

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Inadequate signal lights, underwater shoals and absence of danger marks about river currents have made naval routes from Barisal to other districts most unsafe.

Most of the beacon lights and buoys remain out of order because their spares are either stolen or power supply gets snapped.

Navigation signals are needed at least at 40 points on the Barisal-Dhaka route, but actually less than one third exists now, sources said.

Added to these, there are flagrant irregularities by greedy launch operators.

Due to absence of signal, triple-decker launch MV Dipraj hit an underwater shoal near Bhasanchar, about 45 minutes after start on 15 July, and was stranded there for hours. Its passengers were forced to board another passing-by launch, M V Parabat-3.

On the night of July 17, another launch -- Parabat-2-- lost its way in absence of signal lights. It was back on the route in the morning and reached Dhaka about ten hours behind schedule.

Emdad said said at least forty more beacon lights and buoys are needed in the Barisal-Dhaka route now because the rivers are in spate and very risky at the downstream.

But even the out-of-order signals are not repaired, not to speak of installing new ones, he regretted. There is no signal in Lengutia, Charprokash canal, Badarpur, Merderhat and Showla areas, he said.

Same is the condition on the Hularhat-Bhandaria route.

On the BarisalChittagong route, only one of the eight beacons is in order in Ramgoti-South Gazipur area, sources said.

Vessels ply without signal in South Kashiar Char, Aman Bazar and Chowkighata areas, making journeys extremely risky and delayed by six to eight hours.

"We depend on Allah while plying the route", said the Captain of BIWTA ship Abdul Matin.

Khorshed Alam of the Barisal Launch Owners Association said BIWTC is earning cores of taka but is not taking any step to ensure safety in river routes.

He said temporary and permanent buoys and signal lights are required at least at 60 points on the major river routes in the southern region of the country to ensure safety.