Fatullah launch terminal

Passengers suffer much for mismanagement

NARAYANGANJ: The mismanagement of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authorities (BIWTA) is ruining the launch terminal at Fatullah in the district, incurring a huge loss to the lessee and creating acute sufferings to the passengers, reports UNB.
Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, the lessee said that the passengers are already skipping using the terminal due to myriad of crises, including the lack of facilities like passenger shed, waiting room, toilet and parking space, causing him a large amount of financial loss. He paid Tk 1.80-crore to take lease of the terminal but everyday earning is much less than expectations, Iqbal said.
Launches from country's different parts, including Barisal, Bhola, Chandpur, have started skipping the terminal to avoid risks and sufferings, he added. “I have informed the chairman of BIWTA about the matter several times but the authority is yet to come ahead with the solution to the problem,” alleged its lessee while talking to this correspondent on Saturday.
Witnesses and passengers said that the slabs at different parts of the terminal are broken down. Adding to the miseries, there is no shed for passengers to take shelter during storm or any other natural disasters, said one Chaina Banu, a passenger. Rafiqul Islam, additional director of BIWTA (Dhaka), admitted about the dilapidated condition of the terminal and said they have plans to modernise it.
“We will try to fix all the problems of the terminal in the upcoming fiscal year,” he hoped.
Meanwhile, a top official of BIWTA, wishing anonymity, said that they had informed about the problems to higher authorities but the whole thing depends on the desires of some influential quarters.

Fatullah launch terminal

Passengers suffer much for mismanagement

NARAYANGANJ: The mismanagement of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authorities (BIWTA) is ruining the launch terminal at Fatullah in the district, incurring a huge loss to the lessee and creating acute sufferings to the passengers, reports UNB. Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, the lessee said that the passengers are already skipping using the terminal due to myriad of crises, including the lack of facilities like passenger shed, waiting room, toilet and parking space, causing him a large amount of financial loss. He paid Tk 1.80-crore to take lease of the terminal but everyday earning is much less than expectations, Iqbal said. Launches from countrys different parts, including Barisal, Bhola, Chandpur, have started skipping the terminal to avoid risks and sufferings, he added. I have informed the chairman of BIWTA about the matter several times but the authority is yet to come ahead with the solution to the problem, alleged its lessee while talking to this correspondent on Saturday. Witnesses and passengers said that the slabs at different parts of the terminal are broken down. Adding to the miseries, there is no shed for passengers to take shelter during storm or any other natural disasters, said one Chaina Banu, a passenger. Rafiqul Islam, additional director of BIWTA (Dhaka), admitted about the dilapidated condition of the terminal and said they have plans to modernise it. We will try to fix all the problems of the terminal in the upcoming fiscal year, he hoped. Meanwhile, a top official of BIWTA, wishing anonymity, said that they had informed about the problems to higher authorities but the whole thing depends on the desires of some influential quarters.