Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) demanded on Wednesday decentralisation of the approval and monitoring process of water-vessels to prevent unusual launch accidents.
Representatives from 10 CSOs also observed that appointing skilled launch crew is also a must to check unexpected deaths in the rivers.
They termed the capsize of the passenger launch MV Mostafa in the Padma on Monday a 'structural killing' that caused death of 70 people so far. The launch capsized at Paturia in Manikganj after a cargo trawler - Nargis-1 - hit it.
The comments came at a press conference held at the National Press Club, protesting the latest launch capsize. The programme was organised by Safe Water Way Movement (SWWM), AKAS, ARPAN, Udayan Bangladesh, DOCAP, PULS Bangladesh, SOMAJ, CDP, Implementation Alliance, and COAST Trust, among others.
Coordinator of Imp-lementation Alliance Mujibul Haque Munir presented the keynote, which revealed that the two vessels collided in daylight when the river was totally calm.
It was nothing but carelessness, stubbornness and unaccepted behaviour of the drivers, the paper said, adding MV Mustafa was running with a faulty and expired design.
The keynote disclosed that above 500 committees have been formed by the governments, following the river accidents in the country. But only three committees submitted their reports so far.
The recommendations of these committees were frustrating, as they did not suggest any action against the officials and launch owners, responsible for the accidents, the paper said.
Meanwhile, a human chain styled 'no more death in the waterway' was formed in front of the National Press Club, organised by SUPRO, a campaign for good governance, jointly with other CSOs, protesting the launch incident.
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