Almost every ferry on the route except “Golam Mowla” were wrapped with advisements of several products such as Gazi Tire, Bkash, Rupchanda Soyabean oil, Omera Gas company and others, said sources.
Passengers alleged due to advertisements they could not identify the name of the ferries.
Suresh Saha, a resident of Manikganj Municipality area, said: “One of his relatives told him that he was crossing the Padma River with a ferry named Omera, but there is no ferry on the route with that name. Actually the ferry name was Shah Mokdum.”
He also said: “Passengers could not identify the name of ferries due to advertisements.”
This correspondent has found during his visit to ferry terminal that Birshreshtho Hamidur Rahman and Amanat Shah ferry were wrapped with Rupchanda Soybean oil and Gazi Tire’s advertisement respectively, where Keramot Ali, Enayetpuri and Barkat ferry were wrapped with the ads of Bkash.
When contacted, Sheikh Mohammad Nasim, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said: “They have given order to wrap the ferries with different advertisements following an order of Ministry of Shipping.”
The DGM confessed that they gave the order by violating marine laws.
Abdul Kuddus, Assistant general manager of Paturia ferry sector, said: “They have no information about the advertisements and BIWTC head office controlled the matter.”
Thursday, April 25, 2024
