Bangladesh Inland Waterways (Passenger Carriers) Association, a platform of passenger carrying vessel owners, demanded resumption of launch services from Monday maintaining health guidelines.
The vessel owners at a press conference on Saturday at Sadarghat made the demand.
Badiuzzaman Badal, senior vice-president of the association, read out a written statement at the press conference.
“The country's maritime sector is going through a critical time due to the pandemic,” he said, “We suffered a lot economically. Particularly, the shipping system has totally collapsed. In March 2021, when coronavirus attacked our country for the second time, the government instructed us to operate launch services on a limited scale maintaining the hygiene rules.”
“We operated the ships with passengers less than half of the capacity. Whatever the profit and loss remained, there was at least a system to pay the salaries of the workers and repay the bank loans. But since the service remained shut, we are suffering in every way,” he added.
He also asked the government to meet their demand regarding the resumption of launch service immediately.
The association vice president Saidur Rahman, Md Alauddin, Mamunur Rashid and other of leaders of the organisation were present at the press conference.
