Dhaka-Barisal river route
Ticket crisis frustrates passengers
STAFF REPORTER, Barisal
A total of 27 triple-decker launches is plying on the Dhaka-Barisal-Dhaka river route for the Eid special service this yearthe highest number in 25 years. However, all the return tickets for launch cabins have been booked, and are no longer available.
The Eid special service started on Friday. Of these launches, 17 make direct trips by night, two direct by day, six stop at various ports en route, and two are BIWTC steamers. The owners of these vessels on the Barisal-Dhaka river route earn over Tk. 6 crore from the passengers through the advance booking of tickets. Passengers, however, claimed that the launch owners have sold tickets on the black market, and that is why return tickets are sold out.
Sources said that a total of 23 triple-decker launches is scheduled for regular Eid trips on this route every night. These launches have around 2,000 first-class cabin sets, including single, double and VIP, as well as 21 family cabins, 10 Shoukhin cabins, and over 2,000 sofa seats. According to the official sources, these 23 launches have a maximum load capacity of 19,000 passengers, but carry at least 1 lakh passengers on every Eid special trip. Allegations have been levelled that the launch-owners strike clandestine deals with the officials and police officers concerned in order to openly carry out their illegal business during Eid every year.
Sources in the Bangladesh Launch Owners Association (BLOA) said the higher number of vessels coupled with the lower number of passengers has created serious problems, impacting the sustainability of the present situation. At the moment, 23 launches depart from the Dhaka and Barisal ghats every night, all of them overloaded with passengers who do not have cabin tickets, but travel in third class.
Passengers at the offices of the MV Sundarban, Surovee, Kirtonkhola, Parabat, Tipu, and Kalam Khan have expressed dissatisfaction over the unavailability of tickets. Most of these offices close by 11am, and launch-owners and officials are even keeping their cell-phones switched off to avoid calls from disgruntled passengers.
BLOA vice president Syedur Rahman Rintu said 1,500 passengers are needed on an average per launch trip in order for the business to be profitable. He said that the expenditure on each Dhaka-Barisal-Dhaka launch trip was at least Tk. 4 lakh, including the cost of 25 barrels of oil and other costs, such as monthly and yearly expenditures on maintenance. He added that launch-owners tried to cover their year-long losses at the time of Eid by carrying extra passengers. He claimed that that they have invested Tk. 1525 crore per launch. Two-third of the investments are bank loans, with a steep rate of interest. If the crisis continues, launches may go out of business very soon.
BLOA sources stated that owners of some 15 launches on this route, including MV Sagar, MV Atlast Sun, MV Atlast Star, MV Rajhangsa, MV Nusrat, MV Syef, MV Saharunnesa, MV Syed, MV Joltaranga and MV Jalbihanga were closing down and selling their vessels in response to the crisis. Saidur Rahman Rintu, who also owns the triple-decker Sundarban launch fleet and is the president of the Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: We are happy to provide services to Eid passengers. We see a rush of cabin passengers on this route on the occasions of Eid and the Pujas every year.
