e_Paper, Tuesday, October 18, 2016

News 7
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
DT
Launch passengers suffer on
Munshiganj-Narayanganj route
• Tanjil Hasan, Munshiganj
Launch services on the Munshiganj-Narayanganj
route have been
lying in dire situation for many
years due to manifold problems including
insecurity, low speed, old
and unfit vehicles.
According to the Launch Owners’
Association sources, a total
of 22 small launches ply the route
everyday in interval of 25 minutes.
There have been no new launch
on the route in last ten years for
conspiracy of a syndicate.
As launches are very small in size
and unfit, commuters fear to make
journey on it. Many accidents, big
or small, take place everyday.
On Wednesday night, Munshiganj-bound
Khaja Express was hit
by a sand-laden trawler around
9:45pm, leaving at least 25 injured.
Md Chan Mia, master of Khaja Express,
said: “The sand-laden trawler
could not be seen as there was a
lighter ship anchored in the river. As
a result, the trawler hit the launch.”
The route is very vulnerable in
terms of security. Although there is
a ban of plying sand laden trawler
or ship in the river at night, these
trawler and ships are always plying
in the river breaking the laws. The
authority does not take any action
against it.
When asked, Sub-inspector Md
Mosharaf Hosen, In-Charge of Mukterpur
Naval police outpost, said:
“We do not know about any accident
on Wednesday. As we do not
have logistic supports, we are not
able to patrol in the river after 6pm.
“But we try to reach quickly
whenever we have any report of
accident,” he added.
About plying of sand-laden
trawlers and ships in the river at
night, he could not say anything.
The speed of the launches is very
slow though they have ability to
ply fast. To have more commuters,
they take 45 to 50 minutes to cross
a distance of only seven kilometres.
But, in the same river, the Dhaka-Matlab
and Narayanganj-Matlab
launches ply very fast. So, commuters
believe that it should take only
25 minutes to cover the distance in
Munshiganj-Narayanganj route.
Commuter alleged that a syndicate
has ceased the speed of the
launches in the route. They claimed
after banning these unfit small
launches, new and fast launches
should be introduced immediately.
Shiplu Mandal, a passenger of
this route, and also a college teacher,
said: “We board these launches
risking our lives. The old and unfit
launches go very slow but sound
much. There are not sufficient lifesaving-buoys
in the launches.”
Suvangkar Pal, resident of
Narayanganj city, said: “Every day
I have to go to Munshiganj for my
job. I used the route earlier. But
as it takes much time, I avoid this
route and go by CNG-run auto-rickshaw
to save my time.”
Service holder Fatema Sharmin
said: “The launches are very small
in size and not safe. They have no
fitness at all.”
When this reporter visited Munshiganj
Launch Terminal recently,
he found that launches that can
carry 60 passengers have only 10
life saving buoys.
Master of MV Khaja Chan Mia,
said: “It is the order of the authority
to keep one buoy against six persons.”
Dil Mohammad Kompany, member
of Munshiganj-Narayanganj
Launch Owners’ Association, said:
“New launch could not be introduced
as there is no profit in this
business now. Besides, route permit
is not issued for new launch. It takes
little time to go Narayanganj by road.
So, passengers have decreased in this
route. At present, maximum 1000-
1200 passengers use this route.”
He also said: “Every launch has
fitness. They are all steel-bodied.
It takes 40-45 minutes to go to
Narayanganj by launch. To go faster,
engines of the launches should
be changed.”
About the poor launch service,
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport
Authority (BIWTA) Public Relation
Officer Mobarak Hosen Majumder
said: “We are going to look into the
matter and discuss it in the next
meeting to take necessary steps.” •
Farmers happy
over jute
production,
fair price
• Tribune Desk
Farmers in Panchagarh district are
happy over bumper production
and getting fair price of jute this
season.
Department of Agriculture Extension
(DAE) office sources said
that 6,000 hectares of land have
been brought under jute cultivation
in the district with the production
target of 82,000 bales of jute.
The DAE department has supplied
high quality of jute seeds
among the farmers, reports BSS.
The department has also given
modern technology training to the
farmers about jute cultivation to
boost bumper production. The jute
plant was free from pest attack or
any natural disaster.
Now the jute is being sold at
Taka 1700 to 1800 per mound
(40kgs) in the local market.
Farmer Sunil Kumar of sadar
upazila said that he had cultivated
jute on two bighas of land and he
got 20-mound of jute. He has net
profit Taka 24,000 after deducting
all expenditure. •
Accused of
journalist Osmani
murder held
• UMB
Police arrested Saddam Hossain
alias Tiger Saddam, the prime accused
of journalist Fateh Osmani
murder case, from Bandar Bazar
area beside Hasan Market in the
city on Sunday night.
Tipped off, a team of police conducted
a drive in the area and arrested
Saddam, said sub-inspector
Fayez Ahmad, in-charge of Bandar
Bazar Police camp. The arrestee
was wanted in four cases including
for murder, the SI added.
Later, the attackers stabbed
Fateh indiscriminately, leaving
him critically injured. •
As winter is approaching, date juice extractors have started trimming date trees to collect the sweet juice, locally known as ‘Khejur er rosh’ in rural areas. The photo was
taken at Durgapur Chopukuria village in Rajshahi yesterday
Irregularities cripple Mother and Children Welfare Centre
• Manoj Shaha, Gopalganj
Patients have been going through immense
sufferings at Gopalganj Mother
and Children Welfare Centre, as irregularities
have gripped the organisation.
Though the Department of Family
Planning established the centre at
Gopalganj town aiming to provide
local people of the district with various
services, including family planning,
consultation during pregnancy, safe
delivery and service after the delivery,
at free of cost, nothing is available
without money there now.
Patients alleged that Tk5 thousand
to Tk8 thousand is taken for a caesarian
delivery though it should be free of cost.
Besides, they are also deprived of
free medicines allotted for the patients.
Though the government has fixed
Tk10 per kilometre as ambulance
charge, the patients have to spend
extra money to avail the service.
Shilpi Majumdar, who had gone
through a caesarian delivery there,
claimed that she had to give Tk5 thousand
to Dr Udbhav Chandra Panday, medical officer
(clinic) of the centre, for the surgery.
“My husband had to go through
lots of trouble to collect the amount,
as his income is very low,” said Shilpi at
Sachiadaha village in Terokhada upazila
of adjacent district Khulna.
Another patient named Shukhi Begum
of Shankerpasha village at Kashiani
upazila in Gopalganj said she had to give
Tk8 thousand for her caesarian delivery.
Besides, unhygienic atmosphere of the
centre and bad odour from toilets made
the expecting mothers sick, she said.
Seeking anonymity, a staff of the organization
said the government fund for
the male patients, who do vasectomy
there, was also swallowed by Dr Pandey,
who is in the charge of the centre.
Though there were two more doctors
besides Dr Pandey at the centre,
no allegations had been raised against
them, said the staff.
During office time, the physician is
also available for hire by other clinics.
Even, he uses the centre for his private
practice, alleged several patients.
He also does surgeries of male
patients at the operation theatre of the
centre illegally, they added.
However, Dr Pandey refuted all the
allegations raised against him.
Sohel Parvez, deputy director of
Gopalganj Family Planning Department,
said if there was any irregularity
at the centre, actions would be taken
against the responsible persons after
investigation. •