The income of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) decreased by 27 percent after Padma Bridge was launched. For this, the corporation has taken some new initiatives including launching a cruise service and container service to increase its income.
This was disclosed at the meeting of the parliamentary committee on the Ministry of Shipping.
The committee was informed that as Padma Bridge was launched on June 25 this year, there has been a revolutionary change in the communication system between Dhaka and the southern region. The ferry service on the Shimulia-Banglabazar route has stopped. Besides, traffic through Paturia-Daulatdia Ghat has reduced significantly. As a result, BIWTC’s income has been severely affected.
To regenerate income, apart from launching the cruise service, an initiative has been taken to launch container service with Kolkata and it will be possible to earn 10 thousand dollars per day.
Parliamentary Committee President Major (Retd.) Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam presided over the meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhawan on Tuesday. Committee members Md। Mazharul Haque Pradhan, Ranjit Kumar Roy, Mahfuzur Rahman, M Abdul Latif, SM Shahzada, and related officials were present at the meeting.
