Barisal river port regaining navigability

Dredging work is going on in the Barisal river port area (launch ghat) to ease navigability and Bashundhara Dredging Company Limited, a concern of the country’s largest industrial conglomerate Bashundhara Group, has almost completed the dredging. According to sources, the dredging division of the government has said that no launch of the internal and Dhaka-Barisal route will face any problem now while touching the river terminal. Meanwhile, the launch owners and workers have expressed satisfaction as the dredging in Barisal launch ghat area has been completed properly. However, they expressed the opinion that more dredging is necessary to remove navigability crisis in the launch ghat area permanently. Barisal Water Transport Workers Association President Ekin Ali Master said it was very difficult to anchor the single decker and double decker launches at the ghat due to navigability problem. Although dredging was conducted at different times in the past, accumulated silt created obstacle to movement of river vessels. But, the dredging done this time by the Bashundhara Dredging is satisfactory and there is no problem in anchoring the launches. It is hoped that the navigability problem will not persist now, he added. The Chief Engineer of the Bashundhara Dredging Company Md Ruhul Quddus said, “Two dredgers have been conducting dredging works since June, 2014 under a project to remove the navigability problems in the Barisal-Jhalakathi-Barguna-Patharghata areas. The work of some portion of the project is being done in the Barisal launch ghat area since October 15, this year. The work in the launch ghat area is almost complete and it has been done properly. It is hoped that the navigability problem will come to an end and there will be no problem in anchoring vessels.” The Executive Engineer of BIWTA Dredging Division Md. Safiullah said, “The dredging work in the launch ghat area will end within a day or two.” Barisal river port official Mostafizur Rahman said, “Dredging in the Barisal launch terminal area is almost complete. We, now, hope that after the dredging there will be no problem to anchor any water vessel at the river port.”