Bangladesh wants to use Myanmar's waterways for ensuring smooth communication between Teknaf and St. Martin's island as a number of shoals were formed through the route of the country's water territory, disrupting communications.
Officials said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) recently communicated a note with the Ministry of Shipping (MoS), emphasising the need for signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two neighbours to facilitate the communication through the waters of both the countries.
The ministry was scrutinising the proposal before sending it to the Myanmar authorities for signing the deal, a senior official at the ministry told the FE.
According to the BIWTA note, various water vessels including tourists-carrying ones operate through the route during the period between November and March while the engine boats ply throughout the year to ferry passengers and goods to and from the island. Water vessels are the lone mode of transport between the mainland and the island.
However, the communication is being disrupted during the winter season due to formation of a number of shoals in the water route and low navigability, it reads.
The BIWTA, meanwhile, carried out a hydrographic survey for setting up necessary navigational marks through the route to help movement of the transports. The survey identified that most of the Bangladeshi vessels were using Myanmar's waterways while plying through the Teknaf- St. Martin's island route.
It also found the mainstream of Naf River was flowing through the Myanmar side. The hydrographic river survey chart shows, presently there is no waterway in Bangladesh side for plying of water vessels through the route. Even some shoals were also formed in the Myanmar territory of the Naf River.
The BIWTA suggested installation of necessary navigational equipments through the route to ensure uninterrupted movement of the vessels.
For carrying out hydrographic survey, setting up of marine buoys and markers in the bilateral waterways and using the water route, signing up of a MoU between the two countries has become necessary, it said.
Contacted over phone Thursday, BIWTA chairman Mozammel Haque said the mainstream of Naf River was flowing through the Myanmar territory where setting up of navigational equipments have become very essential for smooth plying of vessels.
He said since the equipments need to be set up in Myanmar's waterways, a MoU has to be signed allowing Bangladesh to do the same. "We have requested the MoS for taking steps for signing a MoU with Myanmar," he added.
syful-islam@outlook.com
