Probe committee on MV Abhijan fire recommends abolishment of ‘rotation system’
The "rotation system", the practice of operating fewer launches than what is permitted and overcrowding them with passengers, all to maximise profits, should be abolished, said the committee that investigated the MV Abhijan-10 fire incident.
The committee said to prevent overcrowding, passengers without tickets should not be allowed to board launches.
Firefighters must inspect vessels every three months. Fire drills must be conducted twice a year, and crew members have to receive safety training.
These are among the 25 recommendations the seven-member probe body has given in their report.
Led by Tofayel Islam, joint secretary of the shipping ministry, the committee submitted the report to the ministry on Monday night.
The committee held three officials of the shipping department and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and four owners and four crew members of MV Abhijan-10 accountable for the fire that killed 49 people and injured many on December 24 last year.
ROTATION SYSTEM
BIWTA provides a particular number of launches for a route, but launch owners operate fewer launches than what is permitted.
For example, six launches were permitted to ply on Dhaka-Bhola route, but only four are reportedly operated.
"Launch owners introduced this illegal and unethical system to maximise profits. And BIWTA is also allowing them to continue," said Ashis Kumar Dey, general secretary of National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways.
A water-transport leader echoed him, adding that powerful launch owners even prevent introduction of new launches to keep their profits unaffected.
A probe committee member, wishing anonymity, said although there is no direct link between launch accidents and rotation system, launches get overcrowded due to this practice, which often increases casualties when such accidents occur.
The committee found that MV Abhijan-10 was overcrowded, he said.
Badiuzzaman Badal, senior vice-chairperson of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (Passenger Carriers) Association, claimed that there is no rotation system in the sector.
"The number of launches corresponds to the number of passengers. When there are not many passengers, fewer launches are operated and vice versa," he told this correspondent.
Asked about the ticketing system, he said currently passengers have to buy tickets for cabins. But passengers who board decks enter vessels from different sides, and it is not possible for authorities to ensure that they have tickets, he said, adding that BIWTA can work on this issue.
The committee also said the workforce of BIWTA and the shipping department should be increased at Sadarghat for better inspection and monitoring, as the number of launches has increased.
Ashis Kumar said the shipping department only has seven surveyors against 22 posts, and it is not possible to inspect everything with these few workers.
Currently, there are some 14,000 registered passenger and cargo vessels in the country.
The BIWTA chairman could not be contacted for comments.
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