Shipping minister Shajahan Khan yesterday issued orders transferring all the police personnel and Ansars on duty and relevant officials from Sadarghat launch terminal for failing to evict hawkers and mismanaging the operations of pontoons. “We’ll take stern action to free Sadarghat from hawkers. Police personnel, Ansars and launch terminal officials have failed to perform their duties to manage the pontoons and hawkers,” the minister told reporters after a meeting on shipping transportation and other issues at the Sadarghat launch terminal.

Shajahan Khan directed the authorities to transfer them immediately from Sadarghat. Video footage that had been taken on Saturday was shown before the meeting began. The minister noticed gross mismanagement at the pontoons. When Khan wanted to know about the harassment of passengers from port officer Joinal Abedin, the officer told the minister that there was no hawker at the pontoons. The minister immediately directed the BIWTA chairman to remove the officer. “The on-duty police and Ansars and the officials concerned have failed to free the pontoons from hawkers and prevent snatching and stealing. They have also failed to stop passengers’ harassment,” Khan observed.