Smoother launch services at Sadarghat offer reprieve to Eid holidaymakers

As chaos and delays plague train and bus terminals on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha, launch services on the southern route have been relatively smoother, providing a timely reprieve to holidaymakers leaving Dhaka.

According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, or BIWTA, having an adequate number of launches at the docks ensured a shorter waiting time for passengers at Sadarghat.

As a result, the problem of overcrowding at the launch terminal has been averted.

The pressure of holidaymakers has also been comparatively less than that during Eid-ul-Fitr, according to BIWTA officials.

On Saturday, a total of 150 launches set sail for different destinations in the country's south from Sadarghat while 40 vessels have left the terminal as of 10am on Sunday. 

"While there was a bit more of a rush on Sunday morning, the crowds at the pontoon gradually cleared as the day wore on," said Dinesh Kumar Saha, a BIWTA transport inspector.

Md Iqbal Hossain, manager of MV Tasrif Launch, expects the crowds to pick up during the last-minute rush for transport in the evening.

The authorities had anticipated a glut of passengers at the launch terminal early on Sunday morning but having enough vessels for Eid travels meant that the pressure could be managed without too many complications, said AKM Arif Uddin, joint director of BIWTA.

In order to ensure the safety of passengers at Sadarghat, 253 Dhaka Metropolitan Police  personnel have been deployed to the launch terminal, said Kotwali Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Moudut Howlader.

The entire area is being monitored with 46 closed circuit cameras, he said.  The additional security measures will be in place from Aug 7 to Aug 17.

Two hundred launches ply over 43 routes daily from Sadarghat.