Death by negligence?Photo: AFP

ON February 19, M.L Fahmida Happy Express went down in the Kirton Khola near Barisal with more than 100 passengers on board after being hit by a cargo vessel. At least 40 people died, many were missing.
The government has formed not one but two enquiry committees to investigate into the incident.
Launch tragedy is not a new phenomenon for us. Every time such an incident occurs, the media comes up with heart-breaking news, columns and editorials, and the people witness the incidents with shock. The government orders a departmental enquiry perhaps by those officials who are directly or indirectly responsible for the incidents, and their report blames everybody except themselves.
With a mild rebuke to one or two small fries and a few half-hearted measures, the report is more often than not shelved. With the passage of time, the public forgets the incident until the next one occurs. Only those who lose their near and dear ones continue to feel the agony of the loss for a long time.
We recall here some of the worst launch disasters in the last decade or so.
On December 28, 2000, M.L.Rajhongshi, after a head-on collision with another vessel in the Meghna, sank instantly, leaving more than 200 passengers dead and another 100 or more missing.
In April 2003, in one day, two motor launches, M.L Mitali and M.L.Majlish, caught in a nor'wester, capsised instantly. At least 300 passengers died.
On August 8, 2003, M.L.Nasrin sank near Chandpur, leaving more than 800 passengers dead. The vessel, with a capacity of 294, was reportedly carrying nearly 1,000 passengers.
On May 15, 2005, M.L. Prince of Patuakhali was caught in a nor'wester and capsised near Galachipa with more than 200 passengers on board. At least half of them either died or went missing.
On May 17, 2005, M.L.Raipura sank in the river Jamuna near Aricha with more than 300 passengers on board. Again, caught in a storm, the launch instantly capsised and at least 100 passengers lost their lives. The list can be made longer and longer.
Worldwide, of all the transport systems, river transport is considered to be the safest. Unfortunately, it is the reverse scenario here. The reasons for these accidents aremajor faults in design and construction of the vessels, structural weakness, lack of adequate safety measures, absence of qualified crew, weaknesses in inspection procedures, obtaining fitness certificates through unfair means, over- loading, disregard for weather forecast and negligence in duty on the part of both the vessel's crew and the controlling authority.
As a seafarer with about 9 years experience of working in Bangladesh inland water transport organisations, I shall say that it is the inherent fault in the design and construction of most of these vessels that has contributed more than anything else in causing the vessels to sink instantly. Most of these vessels have been built in unqualified yards without any regard to standard ship-building practice.
Because of the weak and substandard materials, these vessels are structurally weak, and do not comply with even the minimum stability criteria. Their Meta-centric height (GM), a term used to indicate their ability to remain upright or return to upright position after they are inclined to one side or other by wind or any other external force, is in most cases either insufficient or negative.
They do not have adequate watertight subdivisions or compartments at the bottom to prevent total flooding if the hull is ruptured. Their lower class passenger accommodations serve more as death traps. They seldom carry enough life saving appliances for the safety of passengers in times of emergency. If they do, they are not easily accessible.
Not that the Department of Shipping (DOS) is not aware of these factors. Nor is it that they did not ever take any initiative to address these issues. The department once had these vessels surveyed by a team of experts, and found that about 40% of them were unfit for plying and almost as many required major modification. Their initiative to pull the unfit vessels out of traffic and bring discipline in the river transport sector fell flat in the face of strong resistance from the launch operators.
Col (retd) Akbar Hossain, the then shipping minister, tried his best to introduce a system of classification that would have allowed the DOS to engage private organisations comprising experts from the marine sector, who would be empowered to approve plans, supervise construction and ensure compliance of fitness and safety requirements of these vessels through periodical inspections.
The idea was not bad. Japan and some other maritime nations have similar organisations, and they are doing a good job. However, after the sad demise of Col(retd) Hossain, the project was conveniently shelved, presumably at the behest of the vested quarters. The present government might see for itself if there is any merit in the project.
In any case, it is probably high time that the government had a close look at the sad state of affairs in the inland water transport sector, especially in the passenger service sector, and took some positive and concrete steps to put an end to these endless tragedies.

Capt. Husain Imam is a retired senior merchant navy officer.