Chandpur launch terminal in awful state

CHANDPUR, Apr 21: The passengers who rely on Chandpur launch terminal to travel to different areas of the country by water vehicles have to suffer extremely for poor services of the terminal.
People from Chandpur Sadar, Hajiganj, Haimchar, Faridganj and neighbouring Lakshmipur district's Raipur and Ramganj as well as Shariatpur's Tarabunia mainly use this terminal to travel to Dhaka, Munshiganj and Nararayanganj.
Many of them alleged that the terminal built 24 years ago is now virtually unusable but hundreds of people have to use it every day since they are left with no other alternatives.
They, however, have to pay Tk 10 each as terminal fee.
In a recent visit to Chandpur launch terminal, this correspondent found only three small pontoons attached to each other with small sheds, which are too inadequate for the passengers to save them from scorching sun and rain.
There is no sitting arrangements on the pontoons where passengers can sit and wait for their launch to arrive. It is difficult for the elderly, pregnant women and patients to wait for launch for hours.
The terminal does not also have facilities for washroom and drinking water. It has three gangways but they are narrow and have no sheds.
Every day more than 25 launches are found operating services in different local routes like Chandpur-Dhaka, Chandpur-Narayanganj and Chandpur-Faridpur, said a launch employee.
"Some other launches from Dhaka and Barishal also touch this terminal daily," he added.
Considering the terminal's growing importance, former shipping minister Shahjahan Khan laid the foundation stone of the construction work of the terminal's new building on November 4, 2018.
On that occasion, he assured that this terminal would be developed soon with modern amenities. But four years have passed and there has been no remarkable work yet. For lack of care, the minister's foundation stone, itself, is now getting blurred.
Contacted, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chandpur's Deputy Director Md Kaiserul Islam said, "A project at a cost of Tk 700 million (70 crores) has been taken up by the government to renovate this terminal."
"The tender process has already been completed. Now an evaluation work is going on. We hope the construction work will start in October or November. The World Bank has funded this project and the BIWTA will supervise the work," he added.
According to locals, the terminal was built in the Madrasa Road area in 1998 after the old terminal was washed away by the Meghna river erosion.

maayerbadhon@gmail.com