Awami League leaders control the speedboats

It is the local Awami League leaders who control the speedboat business in Munshiganj and Madaripur. These speedboats operate illegally under their shelter. Extra fares are collected from the passengers by creating a syndicate. They even take lease of the ghats (jetties) at low prices.

The local administration, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Association (BIWTA) and some dishonest officials of the river police help them in these activities. No action has been taken against these illegal activities as the concerned officials get a certain portion of the money from the speedboat business.

These allegations have been revealed during conversations with the different sections of people affiliated with speedboat business. However, after the death of 26 people in a speedboat accident last Monday, concerned officials from the administration assured that necessary action would be taken against these illegal activities.

The deputy commissioner (DC) of Shariatpur, Parvez Hasan told Prothom Alo that they would not allow any unauthorised speedboat to operate after the lockdown.

Shimulia, Banglabazar and Majhirghat are three major river routes connecting the south-western part of the country with Dhaka and Chattogram. Passengers are carried on ferries, launches and speedboats on these routes. Usually a large number of passengers use this route as it takes only 15 minutes to cross the Padma river on this route.

As many as 450 speedboats operate on these three routes. Officials of local administration, speedboat owners and drivers said Medenimandal union parishad (UP) chairman and general secretary of union Awami League, Asharaf Hossain Khan controls the movement of speedboats in Shimulia ghat in Munshiganj. His younger brother Shah Alam Khan is the leaseholder of this ghat.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Ashraf Hossain Khan said, “If it is illegal, how does the government lease the ghat? I have got the lease of this ghat after investing a lot of money. Therefore, the speedboats operate on this route.”

Delwar Hossain, UP chairman of Panchchor union, also the president of Shibchar upazila Awami League, controls the speedboat business in Banglabazar ghat. Yakub Bepari is the leaseholder of this ghat. He is also the vice-president of Kathalbari union Awami League.

Delwar Hossain told Prothom Alo, “We are transporting passengers in compliance with the rules. Usually, the local administration cooperates and gives us permission to operate speedboats.”

East Naodoba union Awami League general secretary Nesar Uddin Matbar and organising secretary Altaf Hossain Khan control the speedboats at Majhirghat in Jajira, Shariatpur. Altaf Hossain Khan's brother Monir Hossain Khan got the lease of this ghat.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over mobile phone, Altaf Hossain said, “We collect Tk 10 from each passenger for the lease. The administration knows better whether the movement of speedboats is illegal or not.”

Depending on the capacity, around 22 to 32 passengers are carried in a single speedboat trip on average. Tk 150 is being collected from each passenger as fare. There is no account of the total number of people using this route in a day. Speedboat owners and drivers said the associates of the lease holder collect a commission of Tk 25 to 50 depending on the ghat for each ticket.

Apart from this, they have to pay Tk 300 to 500 daily to get a serial number. A portion of this money goes to the persons concerned. The passengers are often subjected to misbehaviour despite giving extra money.

Passengers also complained that the speedboats are usually crammed in such a way that the passengers cannot even wear lifejackets during a trip. They are not given any time to put the lifejackets on. That is why the number of casualties skyrockets as soon as an accident occurs.

It has been learned that the fare was Tk 120 before the coronavirus pandemic which was being increased with the excuse of carrying limited passengers to maintain the health guidelines. The health guidelines are not being followed, but the passengers still have to pay extra money.

Neyamot Ali from Barishal is a regular passenger on this route. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said a fare of Tk 150 for such a little distance is excessive. This fare often increases up to Tk 200, whenever there is a pressure of passengers. The passengers even have to pay Tk 300 during the Eid. However, there is no monitoring by the administration.

A source from BIWTA said the lease price of Shimulia Ghat also went down last year. The price has been reduced by syndicating. The government got a total of Tk 18 million (1 crore 80 lakh) from the lease of the ghat. The amount was around Tk 40 million the previous year.

Apart from passenger transport, these speedboats are being used in various criminal activities too. These speedboats do not have any registration numbers. As a result, the criminals and owners cannot be identified after the crime.

For example, in 2019, a group of miscreants robbed Kartikpur Bazar in Bhedarganj, Shariatpur. The robbers came to the market by the river in two speedboats. One of their speedboats broke down while fleeing after being chased by an agitated mob. Police seized that speedboat, but could not identify the owner.

Speedboats are also used for mother hilsa hunting. In the last two years, 10 people were killed in a speedboat collision while catching hilsa at night, ignoring the ban during the mother hilsa conservation campaign.

At that time, the local administration and fisheries department conducted a drive in Shariatpur and seized 58 speedboats. Later, the upazila administration sold the speedboats at auctions, which were purchased again by the owners.

Nesar Uddin Matbar, president of the Majhirghat speedboat owners' association, said, "Owners and drivers secretly rent their speedboats to fishermen. They do not even listen to us.”

He further said, “If the administration seizes the speedboats, it is us who pay the money to buy it back at auctions.”

River police outposts have been set in Mawa in Munshiganj, Kathalbari in Madaripur, Jajira’s Majhirghat in Shariatpur and Sureshwar in Naria to ensure safety on rivers. Inspector of Charjanajat river police outpost, Abdur Razzak told Prothom Alo, “We do not have enough manpower or vessels to patrol the river all the time.”

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo online and print editions, has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu.