Staff Reporter :
About 22.5 lakh people will leave the capital city and adjacent areas through waterways for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr vacation.
The Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF) revealed this through a press release summarising their pre-Eid observation report.
This number of passengers will be only 15 percent of the total number of Eid holidaymakers expected to leave from Dhaka and its suburban areas and the neighbouring cities of Gazipur and Narayanganj.
The SCRF released this on Tuesday, noting that the majority of these passengers would be travelling to the Barishal division, with others heading towards Chandpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Munshiganj, Noakhali, and Luxmipur.
This year’s figures show a decrease from two years ago, when 25 percent of travellers opted for waterways, a change attributed partly to the opening of the Padma Bridge in 2022, which led to a 40 percent reduction in waterway passengers to coastal districts, with the exception of Chandpur and Hatia.
The SCRF report anticipated the travel rush to commence on April 4, with all waterway passengers expected to leave between April 4 and April 10, the day before Eid. Daily, Sadarghat terminal is set to see about 3.21 lakh people pass through.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the navigability of waterways and the shortage of vessels.
Currently, only 31 of the originally 41 waterways in Dhaka are operational due to these challenges.
Despite this, the number of launches is expected to increase to about 175 before Eid, with 87 of these departing from Sadarghat.
The report highlights the pressure on launches, many of which are expected to carry double or triple their capacity, exacerbating the risk of accidents and public suffering.
With many launches having a capacity of less than 1,000 people, the surge in passengers, especially in the three days leading up to Eid, poses significant safety concerns.
The SCRF has called for immediate action from concerned authorities, including enhanced surveillance and security measures at waterways and terminals, to lessen the risks associated with overcapacity and ensure safer travel during the Eid vacation.
