Waterways get priority

The government is concentrating more on the waterways to get Eid-holiday makers in and out of Dhaka rather than the road network which is in appalling state.
The home ministry will urge the shipping ministry to suspend the rotation system of launches for the Eid holidays so that two to three times more passengers can use the waterways to get home and come back to Dhaka after Eid, said a home ministry official.
Under the rotation system, a launch has to wait as long as 12 hours on reaching Sadarghat terminal before it can set out again.
The aim is to suspend the system for seven days before and after Eid.
The home ministry decision to urge the shipping ministry came at a meeting chaired by Home Minister Shahara Khatun.
Shahara said the road repairs were going on and the government hopes that they will be usable before Eid. She said eight teams of law enforcers will be checking extortion from vehicles and ensure highway security alongside highway police.
She said additional police and Rab personnel will be deployed from today at shopping arcades, bus and launch terminals and railway stations.
EID STEAMERS
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation has started special Eid steamer service between Dhaka and Morelganj via Barisal. Even though the service started from Barisal yesterday, it will begin from Dhaka today.
One regular and one special vessel will leave Morelganj and Dhaka terminals every day until September 6, reports our Barisal correspondent.
The BIWTC has five vessels for this purpose: peddle steamers PS Ostrich, PS Lepcha, PS Mahsud, PS Turn and MV Sela. They will also stop at Chandpur, Barisal, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, and Bagerhat districts.