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Blame goes to whom?

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
A conflict between the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the Department of Shipping put the lid on the effort to make river tour safe.
The rift occurred because of the existing 'dual administration' in managing the river route, port and terminal by overseeing the overloading and stopping the violation of traffic rules, sources in the BIWTA and the shipping department observed.
Non implementation of several decisions, taken by the ministry of shipping last year, like checking up the design flaws, fitness, overloading and traffic management also made the river trip riskier even.
Two departments blamed each other yesterday for the nonimplementation of the decisions.
Immediately after last year's MV Salahuddin launch tragedy, which killed about 400 passengers, the government formed a technical committee to grade the launches to brand their designs and fitness flaws.
The ministry also asked the Department of Shipping, which is responsible for managing river route and checking fitness of launches, to update the Inland Shipping Ordinance (ISO), 1976 to ensure safety of the people com
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muting through waterways. Sadly though, the draft update on the ISO is now gathering dust in the ministry.
The draft rules proposed to form a separate inland safety authority and make insurance coverage for passengers and goods mandatory. Telecommunication equipment was also described essential in every medium and large launch, oil tanker and cargo ship.
Ship surveyors admitted that the Mitali-3 that upturned in Buriganga on Monday was not properly built, especially its height was more than it should be. How could the shipping department certify that launch at the first place, they questioned.
But officials in the shipping department defended it by saying 'Mitali-3 was fit' when they issued the route permit.
The department is also alleged to be issuing licenses to the launch masters and drivers without examining their competence.
The BIWTA officials on the other
hand claimed that they are not mandated to look after the safety measures. It is rather authorised to provide port facilities to the water vessels only.
"When we find some launches, not properly built, we can do nothing to stop them from leaving the terminal. Because, we are not empowered to do so," said a frustrated official of the department of port and traffic of the BIWTA.
"We are basically toothless in this regard. What we can do is to file a case with the magistrate of the shipping department regarding violation of overloading only."
They said it is the shipping department who should look after the safety matters and other technical aspects, but they lack manpower to execute their responsibilities. With only four inspectors and one magistrate at the Sadarghat terminal, it is hard for the department to stop irregularities.
Director General of the Department of Shipping, Golam Robbani admitted to The Daily Star
that lack of manpower is not allowing them to get their job done properly.
"In recent years the number of launches have increased significantly, but manpower has not increased," Robbani added.
Nearly 2 lakh vessels of various sizes ply on river routes, 8000 of which are registered. And of the registered ones, about 2000 go under survey annually, which is a big obstacle to improve the safety standard.
President of the Launch Owners' Association Mohammad Kalim Ullah meanwhile expressed his dissatisfaction about the government's effort to ensure safe river travel.
He urged the government to conduct a proper survey to find out faulty vessels immediately, and requested all not to put all the blames on the launch owners.
"If the launch owners fail to comply with the guidelines of the government, the association is ready to bear the responsibility," Kalim Ullah added.