The last vestige of paddle steamers: A new tourist attraction on the horizon?

On a chilly January afternoon, the shore of the Buriganga River from Sadarghat to Showarighat was bustling with traders. Labourers were busy carrying goods from one place to another. But Badamtali Rocket Ghat – not too far from the hustle and bustle on the Buriganga river bank – stayed dead silent.  

A sign hanging at the chain-locked gate reads 'Restricted Area: no entry without permission' in white letters on a rust-red surface.

Since the British era, these paddle ships played a very important role in carrying passengers from India, Pakistan and Myanmar to then Dacca. Even after the birth of Bangladesh, tens of millions of people travelled from Dhaka to Khulna via Chandpur, Bagerhat and many other districts in the southern parts of the country by these paddle ships. 

But now they have turned into relics.      

Docked but ready  

Standing on the Babu Bazar Bridge on the Buriganga River, two historic orange-coloured paddle steamers - PS Lepcha and PS Mahsud - can be seen sitting idle. 

They have been docked at the Badamtali Rocket Ghat for more than two years. 

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation officials said — who stay on duty only to stand guard and do maintenance work –  they are looking for tour operators to lease out PS Lepcha for tourism purposes, while the government will keep PS Mahsud for its own tours.  

PS Mahsud's greaser Harun-Ur-Rashid sat chatting with another worker on the ship's ground floor. He said after the inauguration of Padma Bridge, operations completely shut down due to a lack of passengers and persistent losses. 

In the past, the ship would go to Bagerhat and before that, it would go to Khulna. 

Another paddle steamer, PS Tern, has been anchored at the Narayanganj ghat. BIWTC officials are also looking to lease it out to tour operators. Meanwhile, PS Ostrich has already been leased out. Currently, it is being renovated and overhauled to attract tourists. 

A rich history in Bengal  

According to the book "Hooghly: The Global History of a River" by Robert Ivermee, the arrival of steam technology in Bengal promised to radically change the nature of transport.

In 1823, a new steam navigation company was formed in Britain. It financed the construction of the Enterprise, a 60-horse power vessel, that made the inaugural steam journey around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to India, arriving at Calcutta in late 1825. 

Simultaneously, the construction of steam vessels on the Hooghly at the shipyards of Khidderpore and Howrah got underway. The Diana was a modest 32-horsepower vessel sent on trial voyages in the waterways of East Bengal, before being sold to the government for use in the First Burmese War in 1824. 

"Within a few years, the attention of the Bengal government turned to the use of steam for inland river navigation. With its patronage, two new vessels were assembled for the purpose – The Burhampootur and The Hooghly," wrote Robert Ivermee.

BIWTC's public relations officer Nazrul Islam Misha said after the Liberation War in 1971, Bangladesh had around 13 paddle steamers, including PS Sandra, PS Lali, PS Mohammed, PS Gazi, PS Kiwi, PS Ostrich, PS Mahsud, PS Lepcha and PS Tern.

He also said that the British Government commissioned Garden Rich Dockyard in Kolkata to make the four aforementioned paddle steamers – currently in Bangladesh – between 1919 and 1945.

Over time, other ships ultimately become unusable. The BIWTC official said when a ship becomes unusable, they sell that ship – most likely as scrap. 

Owners, sailors and travellers 

38-year-old Saiful Islam Shohag is now in charge of the grounded PS Lepcha. He worked for the paddle steamer for six years in different capacities. 

The 190-feet long and 25-feet wide PS Lepcha houses 16 first-class and 12 second-class cabins. With a loaded draft of 5 feet 6 inches, PS Lepcha could carry 574 passengers in the third class in daytime and 324 at night time. The maximum cargo capacity was 79 tonnes.   

According to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, PS Lepcha was originally built in 1938 for the Rivers Navigation Company of Calcutta, India. In 1959, she was sold to Pakistan River Steamers Ltd, who retained her until 1972, when her ownership was changed to Bangladesh River Steamers Ltd. 

At a later date, ownership changed to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation.

"In the past, there were a huge number of passengers," said Shohag, who joined BIWTC in 2006 as a grease or engine operator. "We had to struggle to give passengers space."

He said that most people from the upper class, including high officials and parliament members, travelled by steamers because of safety issues. On the other hand, foreigners in general do not have any idea about the launch. They know steamers.

"The first reason is that it is 100% safe. The second reason is that police were on guard in the ship and there were frequent launch accidents," said Shohag. 

"Two or three first-class cabins were always booked for foreigners for nearly every single trip," recounted Shohag. 

Mohammad Abdul Hye used to be the master (driver) of PS Mahsud. He retired from his job last December. He joined BIWTC at the age of 20 in 1983 and has driven PS Mahsud since 1997. 

"All first-class seats were always booked," said Abdul Hye – who saw the GPS installation in paddle steamers while in service. He felt more confident because of it.

"It was a difficult task and many masters avoided driving steamers in the past because there was no radar and GPS," said Abdul Hye, adding, "it is better to drive ferries. But to drive a steamer full of passengers is risky in the sense that sailors would have to be alert at all times on duty." 

BIWTC officials said that every ship needs to be renovated every two years. The engines of the grounded steamers are still in good condition. Every week, the staff operate the engine to keep it fit. But it needs maintenance and overhauling. 

An illustrious history

Queen Elizabeth II cruised on the paddle steamer PS Sandra when she came to East Pakistan on 12 February 1961. She boarded the ship in Narayanganj and enjoyed a cruise in the Shitalakshya River. 

"There is still a video clip of the moment. When Queen Elizabeth II got down from the ship, the students of Fatullah Girls School welcomed her with flowers. It is a historic moment," said BIWTC official Misha. 

Other names such as former US President Jimmy Carter, Mahatma Gandhi, zamindar and music doyen Hasan Raja, Yugoslavia's former president Josip Broz Tito and his wife, also graced the paddle ship with their presence. 

One of the main transports Bangabandhu used was steamers, according to Misha, which was mentioned in his unfinished autobiography.

So what was used to fuel these paddle steamers? Coal from a coal ghat in Nitaiganj in Narayanganj.

Later, in the 1980s, the steam engine was turned into a diesel-run paddle steamer. Then, the engines were turned into hydraulic in the 1990s, and later electrohydraulic in 2020. Now it includes radar, GPS and modern equipment. 

Misha also mentioned how the British government took up an initiative to recruit ship workers. Prisoners were offered shorter prison terms in exchange for their labour. They would have to put coal in the paddle steamers' engines. 

Later on, reports emerged that many of these young people started dying. The British government's investigation into the matter found that they drank the river water and had fallen sick.

Consequently, the first water pump was set up in Badamtali ghat to supply water to the ships. It was the first water pump in Dhaka. 

What lies ahead for the paddle steamers? 

Misha believes that these ships have now become a world heritage. "To preserve the heritage, we have kept the outside of the steamer intact," said Misha.  

Misha pointed to the decline in the number of passengers since the inauguration of the Padma Bridge. Consequently, these ships have gone out of service. But these paddle steamers have a strong element of tourist attraction to it. "To this end, they have already leased out PS Ostrich to a private tour operator," said Misha.   

For PS Lepcha and PS Tern, the bidding was not satisfactory when the tender was floated earlier. They will float tender again for leasing them out. 

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury told The Business Standard, "We are thinking about using these paddle steamers for tourism or cruise. We are trying to keep the heritage [intact] in any way."