BIWTA forms 5 committees for launch inspection
The committees will periodically visit Sadarghat Launch Terminal two days a week
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has formed five committees to inspect and monitor all passenger launches to avoid fire accidents.
The inspection committees have been formed under the leadership of the director and chief engineers of the BIWTA, according to a departmental order issued on Tuesday, asking the committees to inspect the launches for identifying faults and make recommendations to rectify them so that fire accidents like MV Abhijan-10 can be avoided.
The committees will periodically visit Sadarghat Launch Terminal two days a week. One magistrate will also be with the committee during the launch inspection.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
From 6am to 12:30am, the committees will monitor the general and technical conditions of launches leaving Sadarghat and if they find any vessel breaching passenger safety they will cancel its journey.
Besides, in case of irregularities and negligence, the executive magistrate will conduct a mobile court and take legal actions accordingly.
The worst launch fire in memory occurred in the early hours of 24 December off Jhalakathi town as Abhijan-10, packed with more than 800 passengers, was on the way to Barguna from Dhaka.
More than 40 people died in the incident while over 70 people suffered injuries and many are still missing.
