TRAVELING BY WATERWAYS

Bangladesh is a low land area,it surrounded by sea and a large number of river named Padma,Meghna,Jamuna,Braghmaputra,Sitalokkha,Tista,Kushiara,Voirob,Burigonga,Dholesshori and much more.So that u can journey easily to your destination with comfort and relax by boat,sea truck,steamer.There have public and privet sector transporting in waterways.our public sector company is BIWTC (Bangladesh inland water transport corporation).

You can travel so many district in Bangladesh by sea truck ,steamer etc. In capital of Bangladesh (Dhaka) have awater terminal nammed (BIWTA terminal Sadarghat).A large number of steamer leave from here to so many destinations in southern part of Bangladesh like Chandpur,Barishal,Potuakhali,Bhola,Khulna(Sundarban) etc.

BIWTC

During liberation war the communication system in this region was totally disrupted. As a result, there was acute problem in transportation of food grains, POL, essential imported goods, other cargo, vehicles and passengers. Under this circumstances, Govt. felt it necessary to rebuild and rehabilitated the disrupted transport system for easy and safe transportation both in Inland and Coastal areas by establishing a Govt. transport organisation. With this end in view, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) was established in the public sector by the Govt. in 1972 with the then East Pakistan Shipping Corporation, the only Govt. organisation and other 9 number of private shipping companies.

 
FUNCTIONS OF BIWTC:

BIWTC is a service oriented commercial organisation in the public sector. Since its creation, it has been playing a vital role in the inland and coastal water ways by carrying of passengers, cargo and vehicles. The functions of BIWTC are as follows:

1. To provide services for safe transportation of passenger and cargo in inland and coastal water ways.
2. To provide services for transportation of vehicles in the waterways.
3. III. To operate safe transport services for transportation of passenger and cargo between mainland and off-shore islands, where thousands of people are living.
4. IV. To provide services in the uneconomic routes as Public Service Obligation (PSO).
5. V. To render any other emergency services at time of national needs.
6. VI. To maintain dockyard and repair yard for repair and renovation of vessels engaged in the above mentioned activities.

With the aim of transforming BIWTC into a commercially viable organisation, in accordance with the strategic plan of the IDA proposed IWT-III project the BIWTC has been transformed unit basis organisation and it is performing its activities with the following units:-

1. Ferry Service Unit.
2. Passenger Service Unit.
3. Cargo Service Unit.
4. Ship Repair Service Unit.

Brief descriptions regarding activities of the above units are as follows:


Ferry Service Unit

BIWTC is providing day/night ferry services in the following routes to connect Northern and Southern regions with the Eastern region of the country by bridging the road gaps:

Name of Routes/Services
I	Paturia	Kazirhat	Paturia
II	Paturia	Daulatdia	Paturia
III	Mawa	Charjanajat	Mawa
IV	Mawa	Kathalbari	Mawa
V	Chandpur	Shariatpur	Chandpur

The above ferry services are being operated by different categories of self-propelled and dumb ferries including Ro-Ro ferries. The particulars of vessels engaged under this unit as on 23.05.2004 are as follows:-

Type of vessel	No. Of Commercial vessel	No. Of Auxiliary vessel	Total vessel
Small Ferry	3	-	3
Medium Ferry	4	-	4
K-Type Ferry	8	-	8
Ro-Ro Ferry	12	-	12
Dumb Ferry	8	-	8
Sub-Total	35	9	44
Tug (auxiliary vessel)	12	-	12
Total	47	9	56

Passenger Service Unit

BIWTC is responsible for operation of passenger services both in inland water routes and in the coastal areas & off-shore islands of the country. Those off-shore islands are inhabited by crores of people & are also growing populous day by day. Waterways are the only communication media for the people of the region for carrying out their day-to-day socio-economic activities. But till to day no proper passenger service could have been opened in the area by the private sector.


As such the responsibility for operation of the passenger vessels in the region has been vested upon with BIWTC for a long time on behalf of the Government as a Public Service Obligation (PSO).

Passenger Service Unit is mainly engaged in carrying passengers in the inland waterways, coastal areas and off-shore islands. Vessels of this unit are plying in the following routes:

Name of Routes/Services
Inland

1. Dhaka-Khulna Rocket Service

Coastal

1. Chittagong-Barisal Steamer Service
2. Chittagong-Hatiya Steamer Service
3. Daulatkhan - Char Alexander Sea-truck Service
4. Kumira-Guptachara LCT Serivce
5. Hatiya-Char Bata Sea-truck Service
6. Char Changa-Char Bata Sea-truck Service
7. Manpura-Shashiganj Sea-truck Service.
8. Barisal-Mozuchowdhuryhat Sea-truck Service.
9. Kaliya-Nazirpur Sea-truck Service.
10. Alexander-Mirjakalu Sea-truck Service.
11. Teknaf-Sent Martin Tourist Sea-truck Service.