And as the festival starts knocking at the door, with the village home-bound people getting prepared for

their river journeys, these places will wake up to witness a kind of rejuvenation race --- after one long
year.

Over the last few years, the motor launches, large and small, that had carried thousands of passengers
during the two Eid festivals, became worn-out; the engines now smack of the burden of age, the once
shiny paints have begun coming off, with some on the verge of being dumped. Keeping aside the
dreadful memories of mishaps, the motor launch companies have begun dreaming afresh, like in every
year. Most of them look forward to the Eid-time bonanza, which beckons them with profits fatter than
in the past.

Days are not far, when the riverside small dockyards opposite Dhaka's Sadarghat, or those on the bank
of Shitalakkhya in greater Narayanganj, will see hectic hours of work. Nights will be off-limits to the area
for two or more weeks. Sleepless mechanical hands and labourers in shifts will be found engaged in the
vessels' renovation jobs. Many will replace the rusting sheets of the body with fresh ones, some will be
called to put new coats of paint, with others changing various fittings in the cabins and large sitting halls.

Besides, damaged deck floors will be smoothed, electric appliances checked. But the main engine or the
Sareng's iron wheel, now almost beyond repair, might fail to draw the required attention of the launch
owner, despite being reminded of the possible hazards by the mechanics.

So much for the Eid-time vessels' getting a refreshing look. Ironically, a lot of would-be travellers cannot
shake off the haunting spell of disasters, which a few of them had to pass through. Some had a close
shave with death. Like in the previous years, all misgivings will be swept away as they visualise
celebrating Eid with their near and dear ones at their village homes.

But truth keeps pricking somewhere inside. The river travels on the eve of Eid are fraught with lots of
unforeseen dangers. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost in launch mishaps during Eid. The last
year passed off without us having to see salvage ships pulling out submerged launches, small boats or
trawlers, loaded with bodies, moving towards the crowded banks, TV footage showing dead women or
children stuck in the vessel windows probably in their desperate attempts to come out. But this heart-
rending spectacle has long been entwined with our Eid travels by river. In most cases, the causes of the
tragic accidents are overloading of launches, the vessels' faulty design and inclement weather. Then
there are the collisions of launches in the mid-river dark.

Routine probe bodies are formed. Some committees submit reports and recommendations. The story
ends there, and all post-mishap, probe-related exercises turn out to be futile. We see in the next year, or
the year after, the recurrence of the accidents. After all, these are part of life in this country. Seminars,
view-exchange meets etc. are held round the year on finding ways to prevent the avoidable launch
accidents, but to no avail. The cycle keeps moving, year in and year out.

As a nation, we have become inured to the sordid aspects of life. Pains do not move us, nor does the joy
of living. That greed has completely overtaken us is a truth that we cannot escape.

This year's Eid-ul-Fitr falls in the late-monsoon. That time of the season is not hazard-free. Many rivers
turn furious. Some are in spate, with strong currents. The unscrupulous launch owners have no qualms
about these. They will be busy filling the ill-designed or aging vessels with frenzied passengers. Time
cannot be riper for a windfall.

But the authorities can play its due role by being watchful much before the tragedies occur. They have a
lot of time to send out their warnings to the launch owners, who appear to be prone to illegal practices
while operating on the eve of Eid. To our dismay, both sides are equally blind and deaf.

The question is: how a vessel is allowed to leave during bad weather and carry more passengers than its
capacity from an authorised terminal? If the BIWTA and other relevant agencies had been alert, launch
owners would have no choice and accidents could have been averted. If launch owners do not comply
with the norms, the authorities concerned must take tough measures against them.

We hope that BIWTA and other agencies will take strict measures and set a permanent solution to avoid
this kind of unwanted disaster in future.

The country had seen the deadly launch accident in the Meghna on February 08, 2013 claiming at least
100 lives. As has been reported in the media, the launch capsized in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj in the
morning of February 08 after being hit by a sand-laden bulkhead. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan,
while visiting the site of the deadly launch accident, admitted that staff shortage is crippling the shipping
department's monitoring work. He said, currently, around 35,000 registered and unregistered vessels
ply rivers across the country. Under the provisions of an ordinance of the shipping department,
passenger vessels should keep as many life jackets as passengers and at least one lifebuoy for every four
passengers. But this provision has never been implemented. Thus the riverine transport sector
continues to remain chaotic because of the mismanagement and utter failure of the authorities.

It is time to consider the issues of navigability, fitness of vessels, robbery and extortion with greater
importance. There is also the pertinent need for enhanced coordination among the Bangladesh Inland
Water Transport Authority, the Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners' Association and the Water Transport
Workers' Federation for safety in water transportation sector.
What is really distressing is that passengers themselves are largely responsible for many accidents as
they overcrowd the vessels, endangering their own lives. There are inadequate infrastructures at local
terminals. Women ferry and launch passengers are exposed to serious difficulties in boarding and
alighting from the vessels in rural side-terminals.

Bangladesh, crisscrossed by rivers, has seen reduced waterways in the past decades. But still the
waterway is a major route for cheap transportation. Thousands of ferries, boats, motor launches and
ships ply in the rivers carrying passengers and cargoes daily. The government should, therefore, launch a
vigorous campaign to restore navigability of the waterways.

Over the years, various probe committees recommended strict monitoring to stop plying of unfit
launches, increasing the number of ship surveyors and inspectors and bringing all the inland vessels
under marine insurance. But unfortunately such recommendations still remain in paper only. There
must be arrangement for formal training for drivers. The stakeholders have to implement those for
marine safety. A realistic action plan needs to be framed and implemented as early as possible.

Reconditioned old launches should not be the cause on any apprehension to the launch passengers.
These vessels can be as good and as safe as any reconditioned car. Large number of reconditioned cars
is being driven on the streets of Dhaka. The major problem is overloading, which needs to be watched
on very carefully. Patrolling by police speed boats on the rivers should be increased. It is also important
to ensure that all the engines and other machineries are in good condition.

This writer has hands on experience in the overhauling, reconditioning and renovating of the
machineries as needed. We also built new inland water transport vessels way back in mid 1950s at
Narayanganj. However, in those days the number launches for plying on the rivers were fewer but the
rush of passengers ahead of any occasion like Puja or Eid was there. I recollect that in those days our
profit margins were at least double than the other days.

What is most important that the river craft must have a valid document of permission for the vessel. The
document has to be really issued by the proper authorities and not forged. The government should also
consider providing sailing and fitness certificates like Lloyd and other classification societies which are
needed for merchant ships to legally ply on the seas and oceans across the world.

This may curtail launch accidents. Our local insurance companies may be allowed and approved to issue
such fitness certificates for the vessels employing their own inspectors. This can be set up and
supervised by BIWTA to ensure safer and functional hull, main machinery and all auxiliary and safety
equipment needed for safe plying of these vessels on the rivers.