The recent capsizing of a passenger-carrying engine boat near Sabdi Ghat in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj, which left dozens of passengers drifting in the river before they were rescued by another boat, once again exposes the vulnerability of travelling on engine boats. Accidents on rivers, like road accidents, have become a recurrent tragedy. Owing to sustained campaigning and efforts to improve safety, launch journeys have become relatively safer, with fewer major launch accidents reported in recent years. But while safety gap was plugged on one side, another gap was created on another side. The so-called engine boats that lack scientific design, proper safety standards or trial runs, have emerged as a menace on the country's waterways.
The engines used in most of these boats are not meant for use in boats. The contraption is actually an improvised one. Shallow pump engine for use in irrigation is fitted to ordinary boat to make this so-called engine boat. One may appreciate the innovativeness of the people for crafting such a vessel but as its design does not follow any standard engineering practice necessary to build a watercraft, its safety aspects remain a big concern. Consequently, engine boats have become more accident-prone than any other water vessels. The risk is accentuated because of overloading and reckless riding. Worse yet, amateurs, minors are often found operating them. With little to no inspection and monitoring, their use is growing unchecked, and one fatal mishap is followed by another.
The number of engine-powered vessels operating in the country is estimated at around 250,000, but only about 1,500 are reportedly registered with the authorities. This means that a vast number of vessels are operating outside the formal system of inspection, registration and safety oversight. Against this backdrop, the launch of the country's first-ever nationwide vessel census on August 20 is a timely initiative to bring this rapidly growing and largely unregulated sector under proper supervision and monitoring. The Department of Shipping and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics are conducting the census to determine the number, types, ownership and registration status of engine-powered vessels operating across the country's maritime, coastal and inland waterways. For a country where rivers and other waterways remain an essential means of transport, enforcing effective safety regulations is a prerequisite for making them safer.
The irony, however, is that there is no dearth of laws and regulations governing water transport. Requirements concerning vessel fitness, passenger capacity, crew competency and safety equipment are already in place. The gap lies in enforcement, and the census should provide an opportunity to bring vessels under effective regulation and identify and bar unfit ones from plying. At the same time, greater emphasis must be placed on prevention. Modern navigational technologies such as radar and Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), along with proper route planning and real-time vessel tracking, can reduce risks, while adequate life jackets, lifeboats and firefighting equipment are equally vital. Ultimately, the success of the first-ever vessel census will not depend on the number of vessels counted, but by how effectively those vessels are brought under regulation and how far the exercise helps protect the millions who depend on waterways. Accidents cannot be eliminated but accidents that occur due to wilful negligence and violation of safety rules should be shown zero tolerance.
