A new mobile phone application called "Jahaji" was launched yesterday to facilitate the renting, booking and tracking of lighter vessels operating inside the country.

The app will especially benefit ship owners, goods suppliers, agents and brokers and it will also make possible the purchase of goods like sand or stones from moving vessels, according to a press release.

Jahaji Co-founder and CEO Kajal Abdullah said anyone can book a lighter vessel and track its position by using this app.

"At the same time, Jahaji allows people to check the price and quality of goods and their purchase from moving vessels. No other country offers this kind of service for lighter vessels."

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the app at a programme at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

The app will make life easy for a huge number of people involved in the shipping industry, Chowdhury said. "Shipping is a promising sector. We always welcome young entrepreneurs to this industry."

He also urged all to come forward to advance the government's development efforts. "The young entrepreneurs of Jahaji want to change this country from within. I hope the entrepreneurs like them would help build this country."

Former president of Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association Mahbub Uddin Bir Bikram said, "I have known this sector for the last few decades. I think Jahaji app is going to be a game changer in the sector."

Jahaji's Technology Consultant Naimuzzaman Mukta said this app will contribute to the digitisation of the inland water transportation sector, thus paving the way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's vision of building the Digital Bangladesh.

Although naval transportation is easy, cost-effective, and environment-friendly, this industry's growth is slowing down recently, Jahaji CEO said.

According to government estimates, there are less than 7,000 lighter vessels in the country but in reality the number exceeds 30,000, Abdullah said.

"More than Tk 3 crore was spent on renting of vessels only last year... But there is no platform from where people of this sector can get reliable information," he said.

In the conventional system, it is almost impossible to verify the rent, capacity or position of the vessels. The Jahaji app will help these people, he said.

Jahaji app is available on Google Play Store for android phones. The iPhone version will be launched soon.