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Overcrowded launches at Sadarghat terminal

  • Published at 12:25 am June 4th, 2019
Web_Eid-Launch-Mehedi-Hasan
File photo: The Eid rush starts to peak as thousands of people got on launches to go home for the holidays on Monday, June 3, 2019 Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Visiting Sadarghat launch terminal, The Dhaka Tribune found law enforcement agencies controlling crowds, but every launch leaving the terminal was overloaded with passengers, and no schedule was being maintained

Sadarghat launch terminal of the capital was crammed with Eid passengers on Monday after 3pm. Visiting Sadarghat launch terminal, The Dhaka Tribune found law enforcement agencies controlling crowds, but every launch leaving the terminal was overloaded with passengers, and no schedule was being maintained.

Md Akter Hossen, a student from Mirpur, said he was supposed to board launch MV Tasrif-4, but after waiting till 4:30 there was no sign of his launch at the terminal.

Mizanur Rahman, reporter of Dhaka Tribune who left Dhaka for his village home in Bhola, said he had to face an unusual experience this time. “I have never experienced such hardship since I came to Dhaka in 2005. This year the crowds and rush were too much! 

Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, additional commissioner of DMP said, “We have taken various measures so that people can enter the terminal easily and there are no accidents because of the rush.”
 Alamagir Kabir, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) joint director said: “On normal days, 80 launches leave Sadarghat terminal. 150 launches are scheduled to leave the terminal on Monday."

Inspite of the above mentioned measures, Abul Kalam, Director of Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carrier's Association, blamed BIWTA and law enforcement agencies for the overloaded launches at Sadarghat.