Floating hotel for floating people

Ships, launches and boats of many kinds sail up the Buriganga River every day but there are five large boats anchored for ages near Mitford Hospital Ghat.

Many may wonder what the hell on earth for which they keep floating forever on the river without even moving. They just keep floating to the rhythms of river waves.

The area always buzz with people crossing the river by boats, working in small industries adjacent to it or doing businesses along the river but those five boats seem to be doing nothing particular.

But they have reasons for which they are always there. Poor people working around the river or those who need to stay in Dhaka for one or two nights rent rooms to spend nights for only Tk40-100. Some call them floating hotels rather than boats.

One of those poor men is Abdul Halim who came to Dhaka from Shariatpur’s Zajira and missed the launch schedule. He was looking for a seat to stay for a night in the area of the Buriganga River at 10pm.

He took shelter in one of such boats. He told The Business Post that he worked as a laborer in Malaysia. He moved to Bangladesh after an accident. He came to Kamrangirchar in Dhaka from his village for personal reason.

He was looking for a hotel to stay in because it was getting late. But he had a scanty amount of money. After someone suggested him he took a boarding there for Tk100. He will leave next day.

Many low-income people like Halim who come to Dhaka for one or two days take shelter in those boats.

The number of such floating people is not small.

They stay there as it costs a lot to stay in a residential hotel in Dhaka city. It is difficult to get a hotel for less than Tk500 forcing them to live in those floating boats.

There are five floating hotels in five boats along the river of Buriganga opposite the road of Mitford Hospital adjacent to Beribagh in front of Sadarghat’s Waizghat in Dhaka.

They are considered to be the cheapest residential hotels in Dhaka. Here a man can spend a night for Tk40-50 to Tk100-110.

As this correspondent spoke to locals, residential hotel owners-managers and boarders, they said those floating hotels were built on the banks of the river Buriganga after the liberation of Bangladesh.

Although there is a big difference between the then Buriganga and the present Buriganga, the floating hotels are still bearing the testimony to the post-war history of the country.

The five floating hotels - Buriganga, Shariatpur Muslim Boarding, Faridpur Muslim Boarding, Nazma, and Uma-Ujala Boarding - have 30 to 50 cabins each. These five floating hotels can accommodate about 200 people.

Each cabin has electricity, lights, fans and beds for night stay. They also have arrangement for toilet and bathroom. However, they think this much is good enough for poor people and workers who spend nights here.

Mostafa Miah, the owner of Faridpur Muslim Boarding Hotel, told The Business Post that the rooms are not available in any residential hotel in Dhaka city below Tk500. But people can spend a night on a boat deck for only Tk40-50.

There are also cabin arrangements. People only have to pay Tk100-110 to stay there.

Talking about the history of this floating hotel, he said his uncle Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and his uncle’s friend Abdus Sattar were the first entrepreneurs in 1975. After 21 years of service in Faridpur boarding, he now owns it.

Mr Major Shafiullah at that time gave them a license for this business. Later, they also took permission from the Dhaka District Judge.

At present, they are doing business with the permission of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Dhaka district administration, he said.

They began only the restaurant business first. Initially they were paid for food but overnight stay was free. After that gradually it turned into a floating residential hotel.

There are now five separate floating boarding boats in Buriganga Rivers owned by four people.

Mohammad Mosharof, a boarder at Faridpur Muslim Boarding, told The Business Post that he is a fruit vendor in Sadarghat area. He is from Palang of Shariatpur.

He has been living here for 12-13 years. He stays for Tk40. It is difficult to rent a house with what he earns. So he lives here.

The reporter talks to Shariatpur Muslim Boarding’s Manager Md Shah Jamal and Uma-Ujala’s Manager Pintu Shah.

According to their statement, usually low-income people - fruit traders, hawkers and laborers - stay at those hotels. There are some who have been staying in those hotels for 25 to 30 years.

They usually live here round the year. They go back to village only for a few days to their families. Many people come to stay there when they miss the launch schedule or can’t return home after work.

Delwar Hossain, a boarder at Shariatpur Muslim Boarding, said he, who is from Patuakhali’s Mirzaganj, works as laborer at Sadarghat. He has been staying in a floating hotel for 7-8 months. He rented a room for Tk100.

While talking about the hotel expenses, owner Mostafa said, “We were at Sadarghatat first. Later we came to Wiseghat from there. We then moved near Ahsan Manzil’s Mosque. After four years there, we came in front of the Mitford Hospital Ghat area eight months ago.”

He pays Tk2, 200 to BIWTA for per square feet. On average Tk9, 000 is spent on electricity every month.

It didn’t cost any money to stay at the ghat before. But someone took out a lease on the ghat from the authorities concerned and they have to pay Tk6, 000 per month to the leaseholder, he said.

Their business went into recession during the lockdown during coronavirus. At that time there were 8 to 10 people in their boarding houses. They faced huge losses. Now they have some customers, he further said.

Mostafa said excluding all expenses, they had left Tk30, 000 toTk40, 000 per month when they were at Wiseghat in Badmatali area. But now it is not like that. There is not much profit.

The locals, floating hotel owners and managers said this floating hotel is a tradition for them. The government should pay a little attention to them. They demanded their relocation to Wiseghat of the Badmatali area.