Operation of all kinds of bulkheads and speed boats would be suspended for 11 days to ensure safety of the homebound people on the waterways during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Abdul Alim Mahmud, also head of the River Police, disclosed it to the media after a view-exchange meeting on overall river transport management including passengers' safety during the Eid at Police Plaza in the capital on Wednesday.
"The River Police have taken special measures from April 3-17 to ensure safe and secure journey of homebound passengers during the upcoming Eid," he said.
He also said that the River Police are pledge-bound to provide safety and security to the launch passengers during the largest festival of the Muslim community in the world.
He said that River Police personnel would be deployed in all river ports and terminals to provide security to the passengers.
He further said that they would also intensify surveillance for security of the passengers and river routes.
He called upon the launch operators not to exceed speed limits while in operation.
He said that the River Police would assist if anyone dials at its control room number 01320169598 or national emergency service number 999 for help.
The meeting took some decisions alongside issuing instructions not to carry passengers beyond launch capacity, not to operate faulty and small launches, to provide sufficient number of life jackets and boyas as per the number of launch passengers.
It also decided to increase surveillance to stop illegal toll collection and theft, not to allow operation of river vessels without valid papers, enforce realisation of launch fares at rational rates and stop taking passengers from outside river terminals by using small boats, help passengers to get on the launches and keep sufficient fire safety equipment at river vessels and launches.
Representatives from Bangladesh Inland Water-ways Transport Authority (BIWTA), Bangladesh Inland Waterways Trans-port Corporation (BIWTC), launch owners and workers associations, Bangladesh Cargo Trawlers and Bulk Head Workers Union were present, among others.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
