PM’s order to ensure safe marine, river transport system

Stressing safe and secured marine and river transport system, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed Sunday the shipping ministry to enforce strict monitoring for ensuring proper design of marine vessels alongside ensuring other security measures to avert accidents, especially in rainy season, report agencies.
"The marine vessels shall be built following proper design so that those could stay afloat in inclement weather like storm... the mentality to make windfall profit by taking passengers in excess of capacity and erecting too many cabins often cause too many accidents," she said.
The prime minister's directive and observation came in her introductory speech to the high officials of the Ministry of Shipping and its associate bodies at the ministry conference room in the Secretariat Sunday.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and Secretary Syed Monzurul Islam also spoke on the occasion.
The prime minister also inaugurated the automation and video conferencing system, talking with the high officials of  Chittagong Port Authority, Mongla Port Authority and Chittagong Marine Academy through video conferencing.
Apart from formulating proper design of the marine vessels to ensure safety of the passengers and goods transportation, Hasina also stressed the need for imparting proper training to those who operate vessels and navigation. She also laid emphasis on having sufficient number of life buoys and small boats alongside continuous strict monitoring from the authorities concerned.
Mentioning that the number of river accidents have now declined significantly due to proactive measures of the ministry, she said that not only maintaining the river navigability, but also ensuring a 'safe passenger and goods transportation system' is also very important for which the present government has procured two more rescue vessels.
She, however, termed the recent launch accident (Pinak-6) as unfortunate, saying that perhaps there were no life buoys in that vessel.
BSS adds: About the shifting of the Hazaribagh tannery, the prime minister said for a long time the project remained abandoned with the planning commission. The government cleared the project a week ago.
The owners of the industrial plot of the Hazaribagh tannery industries were given ultimatum to shift their units, she said adding that after the timeframe, all tanneries in Hazaribagh would be closed.