DOT Desk: Two launches of Patuakhali-Dhaka route got stuck in a shoal in the Karkhana River under Bakerganj Upazila of the district, causing immense sufferings to around 2,000 passengers on board, reports The Daily Observer. The four-storey Dhaka-bound MV Sundarban-9 and MV Jamal Khan-5 started journey from Patuakhali Launch Ghat at 6pm on Friday and got stuck after one hour, said Yunus Hossen, supervisor of Sundarban-9 launch.
However, both the launches reached their final destination safely early Saturday after a delay of about six hours, launch sources added. Azmal Huda Mithu, deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), Barishal Station claimed that the vessels got stuck in the shoal as their masters failed to follow route safety markings on the river due to foggy weather.
The launch was plying slowly in foggy weather, but stuck in the shoal due to lack of navigability, acknowledged Saidur Rahman Rintu, owner of the Sundarban-9 launch and vice president of Launch Owner’s Association.
Yunus Hossain, supervisor of Sundarban-9, said navigation problem increased in this route as the BIWTC authority failed to do regular dredging of the river to ensure navigability, especially in dry season.
Sultana Begum, a passenger of MV Sundarban-9, alleged that the launch was plying in foggy weather soon after starting journey without taking any precaution.
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