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Launch victim relatives for steps to stop faulty launch plying

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Relatives of the victims of the launch disaster that left several hundred killed this day last year and civil society members from the coastal region yesterday jointly raised their voice to demand immediate and effective steps to stop faulty plying of passenger vessels across the country.
An organisation named Nirapad Noupath Bastabayan Jote put forward a three-point demand that included measures to ensure safe launch journey, sustained assistance to and rehabilitation of family members of the victims launch disasters.
It made the demands at a press conference in the capital, also attended by many relatives of the victims of MV Nasreen-1 capsize in
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the Meghna a year ago.
The Jote demanded strict enforcement of all laws on the plying of river vessels, setting up a fund for assisting family members of victims and their proper rehabilitation.
Mahfuzur Rahman, A F M rezaul Karim and Aminur Rasul spoke at the press conference.
The Jote will organise a roundtable at the National Press Club today on the occasion of first anniversary of MV Nasreen disaster.
Shipping Minister Askbar Hossain, former shipping minister A S M Abdur Rob and G M Seraj, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry, are likely to attend the roundtable, Jote leaders said.
M V Nasreen--1 sank with around 1,000 people on board.
Official estimates put the number of dead at 402, the Jote said a survey conducted by it showed around 825 people drowned in the disaster.
About 4,000 people died in 255 major launch disasters in the country since 1976, it said.
Fatema of lalmohan, who lost her husband and daughter in Nasreen-1 disaster, yesterday told this correspondent, "I am in dire distress with my two sons and one daughter as I have no source of income." The government gave her only Tk 15,000 as compensation, which was spent for meeting loans and other urgent needs, a sobbing Fatema said.
Shakhahwat, the only surviving member of a victim family and a student of class two, narrated similar plight.
Meanwhile, Rodoshi, a cultural organisation, will hold discussions and hold rallies and bring out mourning procession from Dhaka University to mark the launch disaster this day last year.