30 lakh Eid holidaymakers to leave Dhaka, adjacent districts by waterways: National Committee

Though the number of passengers heading to greater Barishal has reduced, around 30 lakh people from Dhaka and surrounding districts will leave for coastal districts by waterways during the upcoming Eid.

Among them, three  lakh travellers will go through Narayanganj river port and the remaining 27 lakh by Dhaka river port's Sadarghat launch terminal.

Sadarghat will face unusual pressure from homebound people, according to a pre-Eid observation report of the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways.

Mohammad Shahid Mia, president of the organisation and its general secretary Ashis Kumar Dey on Sunday published the summary of the report through a press release.

The National Committee has recommended raising the number of vessels in alternative ways by the government to handle the pressure of additional passengers and ensure hassle-free and safe Eid journeys.

The report said about 1.5 crore people will leave Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj during Eid-ul-Azha.

Among them, 30 lakh (20 percent of the total passengers) will go by launch during this Eid. Most of these passengers are from the coastal districts of Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalkathi, Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Chandpur, Shariatpur and Madaripur, it said.

According to the report, the rush of home-bound people will start from June 22, the last working day of the previous week of Eid-ul-Azha. All waterway passengers from the greater Dhaka region will go home in 7 days from 22 to 26 June (the day before Eid).

However, about 15 percent (4.50 lakh) people, including students and housewives, will leave  Dhaka before the start of the Eid journey.

At least 25.50 lakh passengers will go to their destination by waterways from June 22 to June 28. Out of this, 22.85 will start its journey from Sadarghat terminal, the report said.

Referring to the crisis of navigability, the report said that there are 41 waterways officially from Dhaka to various destinations.

However, at least 15 waterways have apparently already been abandoned due to the navigability crisis and lack of passengers.

Citing the shortage of vessels, the national committee said that maximum 70 launches regularly operate on the remaining 26 waterways. This number will increase to around 180 before Eid. Out of this, 90 vessels will depart from Sadarghat for various destinations and 90 will arrive from different places.

The civic organisation also said, if 3.27 lakh passengers are carried in 90 launches every day, one launch will carry almost 3,642 passengers on an average. But none of the launches has the capacity to carry more than 2,000 people. Even many launches have a capacity of carrying less than 1,000. In addition, in three days before Eid, the crowd will increase one and a half times more.

Many launches carry double to triple passengers beyond the capacity to handle the pressure. As a result, additional passengers will be carried on the roof and deck, the report said.

The organisation stressed the need for taking appropriate measures by the authorities concerned to reduce the risks of waterway accidents and public sufferings.

It urged the authorities concerned including the law enforcement agencies to ensure maximum surveillance and tight security on the waterways and the terminals.