launch
Launch services from Chandpur to all routes resume after 60 hrs
Launch services from Chandpur to all routes resumed on Monday morning after 60 hours of suspension due to Cyclone Mocha.
Deputy Director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Shahadat Hossain said launch services resumed as per the decision of the higher authorities.
The launch services remained suspended from 11 pm on Friday.
Read More: Cyclone Mocha: Launch services on Chandpur route suspended
Chnadpur ghat manager Faysal Alam Chowdhury said ferry operation from Harina ferry terminal in Chandpur and Alurbazar terminal in Shaiatpur resumed operation after 50 hours of suspension.
Barguna launch fire tragedy: One year on, families still mourn missing relatives
Although a year has passed since the Barguna launch fire tragedy, families still mourn their missing loved ones.
A devastating fire broke out at Barguna-bound launch ‘MV-Avijan-10’ on December 24 last year. The launch, with 800 passengers on board, was heading towards Barguna and the fire broke out on Sugandha river in Jhalakathi.
Forty-nine people died in the tragedy while the exact numbers of passengers traveling on the launch and the missing passengers are yet to be known. One hundred people were injured in the incident.
Many did not get any compensation for what they lost during the fire. Besides, families of missing passengers say no financial assistance has been provided to them.
After the fire, the local administration of Barguna district handed over 25 bodies to their relatives while 23 people were buried in a mass graveyard in the district.
Khalil, along with his wife and three children, was heading towards Barguna by the launch. Khalil and his wife managed to survive but they still mourn their three missing children.
Meanwhile, Golam Mahbub’s offspring and elderly mother are inconsolable after losing him and his brother during the launch fire.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) collected samples of 51 people for identifying the 23 unclaimed bodies that were buried in Potkakhali mass graveyard in the Sadar upazila of Barguna district. Sixteen eople have been identified through DNA test.
A case with Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against the owner of MV Avijan-10, Hamjalal Sheikh, and 24 others in connection with the deadly fire on the launch has been lodged, said Shahidul Islam Milon, inspector (Investigation) of Barguna police station.
Unfit launches spruced up for Eid trips; Experts worry about safety of holidaymakers
With less than two weeks left for Eid-ul-Fitr, rundown and faulty launches are being refurbished and repaired to sail on river routes across the country during the huge rush of holidaymakers, endangering hundreds of lives.
At least 30 defective launches are getting a quick facelift with cosmetic repairs at various dockyards in Keraniganj on the outskirts of the city aiming to make a fast buck by carrying passengers of 22 southern districts during the Eid festival.
Experts said the condition of most of the rivers before the Eid may become risky with the possibility of nor’westers, strong current and gusty winds due to the influence of new moon as the passenger launch accidents in the country’s inland waterways happen at this time mainly for overloading of passengers, faulty vessels, risky competition, mismanagement and lack of trained, skilled and competent crews.
They said the government must take strict measures to check the operation of unfit and faulty vessels and overloading and ensure adequate fire safety and lifesaving equipment in each launch to avoid any untoward incident during the mad rush of passengers at launch terminals ahead of the Eid.
Also read: Launch owners’ profit motive makes Eid journeys fraught with risk
Meanwhile, National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) in a report on Tuesday last said the Sadarghat terminal will witness an unusual pressure as 40 lakh people from three districts--Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj--are likely to travel to the coastal districts by launches during this Eid occasion.
It also said there are not enough vessels to carry so many one-way passengers in just 12 days, cautioning that the launches can carry passengers beyond their capacity on decks and roofs during the season of natural disasters like nor'westers and storms.
Smoke in Barishal-bound launch creates panic among passengers
Panic gripped the passengers of Barishal-bound launch ‘MV Prince Awlad-10’ as thick smoke filled the engine room of the launch, prompting the authorities to anchor it at Munshiganj terminal Saturday midnight.
Sazzad Hossain, an employee of the launch, said the authorities noticed smoke billowing from the engine room of the launch around 11:30 pm while installing adjuster in the silencer pipe.
The authorities anchored the launch at Munshiganj terminal for checking.
READ: Sadarghat launch fire doused
On information, a fire fighting unit rushed to the spot for examining the source of smoke.
Our Munshiganj correspondent reports: Muktarpur river police in-charge Lutfur Rahman said the launch started for Barishal around 1 am as a firefighting unit found it safe after examining.
A fire broke out on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes, claiming the lives of 49 people on December 24, 2021.
Sadarghat launch fire doused
A fire that broke out in a launch at Sadarghat Launch Terminal in the capital on Sunday has been doused.
The fire broke out at launch ‘Adventure-9’ at 10:52 am and spread soon, Md Shahjahan Shikdar, Deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
On information, seven firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire around 2 pm.
Read: Death toll rises to 12 in N'ganj launch tragedy
Launch sinks in Shitalakkhya, 6 bodies recovered
At least six bodies, including of a three-year-old child, were recovered after launch carrying around 50-60 passengers went down in the Shitalakkhya River after being hit by a cargo vessel near Al Aminnagar in Narayanganj Sunday afternoon.
One of the deceased was identified as Joynal, aged about 50, while the bodies of a 10-year-old girl, an 18-year-old girl, a 45-year-old woman and a 27-year-old woman remained unidentified, said Narayanganj Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Abdullah Al Arefin.
The fire service official said they recovered five bodies and the locals recovered Joynal’s body.
The bodies will be handed over to the relatives through the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
Around 20 passengers were still missing, he said.
Besides, 15-20 passengers managed to swim ashore, he added.
The naval police seized MV Ruposhi-9, a cargo ship owned by City Group. The cargo anchored at ‘Hossain The Dockyard’ in Munshiganj shortly after the accident, said Moniruzzaman Monir, officer-in-charge (OC) of Narayanganj Naval Police Station.
Read: How rules flouting and negligence cause frequent launch disasters in Bangladesh
BIWTA suspends operation of Surovi-9, lodges complaint against manager-staff
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Sunday suspended the operations of MV Surovi-9 over allegations of a technical glitch after a fire broke out on it Saturday night while carrying 300 passengers.
Meanwhile, Barishal River Port officer Mostafizur Rahman lodged a complaint against the launch manager Mizan and other staff of the launch over the incident and for attacking the journalists.
Mostafizur Rahman, the operation of the launch on Dhaka-Barishal-Dhaka route, will remain suspended until further notice. “The decision was taken followed by the chaotic situation created over the technical glitch and attack on journalists,” he said.
Also read: Fire breaks out in Barishal-bound launch; Doused quickly
Earlier two camerapersons lodged separate complaints against the manager over the incident of attack.
According to camerapersons of Independent Television and two other private channels they were attacked around 11pm while recording video footage of the launch as it was brought to Barishal.
No damages or casualties were reported in the fire that originated in the engine room of MV Survi-9 launch as it was extinguished before it could spread.
Kaiser Alam, BIWTA's Chandpur port officer said, passengers were sent to Barishal by another launch considering the security issue and MV Survi-9 has been docked at Mohanpur ghat.
Also read: Jhalakathi launch fire: Probe body submits report
On December 24, a deadly fire broke out in Barguna-bound launch MV Abhijan-10 carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire accident reached 49 till January 3. Besides, over 70 people suffered injuries, and many of them are currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
Fire breaks out in Barishal-bound launch; Doused quickly
A fire that broke out in a Barishal- bound launch carrying 300 passengers was doused by launch staff quickly on Saturday night.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chandur port officer Kaiser Alam said the fire originated in the engine room of MV Survi-9 launch was extinguished before it could spread.
No damages or casualties were reported.
According to the crew, the fire broke out when the launch reached Mohanpur area of Matlab North around 10 pm on Saturday.
They managed to douse the fire before it could spread to other parts of the launch.
Upon information, Naval Fire Service went to the spot from Chandpur.
Mohanpur Naval Police provided security to passenger at the night, said Mohammad Ohiduzzaman, Naval Police in-charge.
READ: Jhalakathi launch fire: Probe body submits report
Kaiser Alam, BIWTA's Chandpur port officer said, passengers were sent to Barishal by another launch considering the security issue and MV Survi-9 has been docked at Mohanpur ghat.
On December 24, a deadly fire broke out in Barguna-bound launch MV Abhijan-10 carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
The death toll from the fire accident reached 49 till January 3. Besides, over 70 people suffered injuries, and many of them are currently undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
READ: Jhalokathi civil surgeon made OSD over launch fire: Health Ministry
Launch tragedy: Probe committee gets 3 more days to submit report
The probe committee formed by the Shipping Ministry has been granted three more working days from Wednesday to finish its investigation into the unprecedented disaster witnessed in Jhalokathi last Friday morning, of a passenger launch filled to the brim going up in flames on a riverway.
On December 24, the Shipping Ministry formed the seven-member probe committee, asking it to submit its report within three working days. But the deadline was missed.
As per the appeal of the committee, three more working days have been granted, according to a notification issued by the ministry.
READ: HC seeks probe report on launch fire within 30 days
Joint secretary of the shipping ministry Tofayel Ahmed is the convener, while deputy secretary Aminur Rahman will act as its member secretary.
The confirmed death toll from Friday's deadly fire on the MV Abhijan-10 off the coast of Jhalakathi rose to 47 on Wednesday, with the recovery of two more bodies from the Sugandha River as Coast Guard members and firefighters continued searching the river for a sixth day in a row.
According to a list of the missing compiled by the Jhalakathi office of the Red Crescent Society, at least 58 people are still missing.
Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged at Jhalakathi police station on Monday night, following a complaint from the victims' side, accusing eight people, including launch co-owner Hamjalal Sheikh, for the tragedy.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Hamjalal in connection with the deadly fire on board the MV Avijan-10. His arrest followed the Dhaka Marine Court’s warrants for the arrest of four owners and four staffers of the launch in a case filed by the department of shipping.
READ: Launch fire tragedy: 47 confirmed dead now, at least 58 still missing
The blaze broke out around 3am on Friday on the Barguna-bound launch carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka and it engulfed the entire vessel within 10 minutes.
Launch tragedy: Death toll climbs to 44
The death toll from Friday's deadly launch fire off the coast of Jhalakathi rose to 44, with the recovery of two more bodies from the Sugandha River on Tuesday.
The bodies of the unidentified people were fished out by firefighters from the waters adjacent to the Jhalakathi launch terminal at Shachilapur in the district, said Shafiq, deputy assistant director of the district fire service.
The deceased were a boy aged around 12 and a man aged around 32, according to the Jhalakathi Fire Service and Civil Defence.
The man’s face was burnt beyond recognition and he was wearing an off-white sweater and jeans, said Shafiq. "The body has been sent for an autopsy."
Also read: Launch fire: CID collects DNA samples of missing passenger families in Barguna
Meanwhile, Coast Guard members and firefighters continued their search operation in the Sugandha river for the fifth day in a row.