A circular speedboat service on waterways around the capital Dhaka was launched Saturday at Tongi river port in Gazipur.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel inaugurated the speedboat service at Tongi river port.
Under the private initiative, initially, a total of five speedboats will run on two routes from Tongi or Abdullahpur to Kodda and from Tongi or Abdullahpur (Gazipur) to Ulukhola (Kaliganj) in the first phase, said an official handout.
It will take only 25 minutes to reach Kodda from Tongi and vice-versa. The fare is Taka 150 for a one-way trip. The Tongi-Ulukhola route will take 19 minutes to reach the destination and the fare is Taka 120 for one-way travel.
In phases, speedboat services will be introduced on two new routes- Kodda-Gabtoli and Gabtoli-Sadarghat - subsequently depending on passenger demand.
Earlier, the state ministers also opened an eco-park of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Saturday launched at Tongi river port.
Shipping Secretary Md Mustafa Kamal and BIWTA Chairman Commodore Golam Sadeq was also present, among others.
