New BIWTC vessel to launch today
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) will introduce today a new passenger vessel MV Madhumoti on Dhaka-Barisal-Khulna route.
With the latest one, the state-run BIWTC now has a fleet of seven passenger carriers plying from Dhaka to southern districts.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the two-storey vessel through a video conference at 10:00am, said a press release of the shipping ministry.
The 75.50 metre long vessel is able to carry 750 passengers. A Bangladeshi private shipbuilding company has constructed the vessel for Tk 27 crore, while its two engines were imported from Japan.
With Madhumoti, BIWTC's official capacity has increased to carry around 5,000 passengers through its seven ships. But the vessels carry at least three times as many passengers.
On the other hand, private companies operate around 150 launches, carrying around 3 lakh people daily.
Both private launch owners and BIWTC will start operating special trips today on the basis of passengers' rush.
TRAIN, BUS
The advance sale of Bangladesh Railway's tickets concluded at Kamalapur and Chittagong stations yesterday amid dissatisfaction of many people who did not get tickets.
On the last day, tickets were sold for July 17. Return tickets will start selling on July 16.
Railway officials anticipated that people would start leaving the capital in droves today to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones.
Meanwhile, bus stations of the capital including Gabtoli and Kalyanpur started to become crowded with home-bound people yesterday.
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