Dhaka, June 19 (bdnews24.com) — The shipping minister has said that over 350 people have been killed in water-related accidents in the last two years.
On Sunday, Shahjahan Khan told parliament, "A total of 244 people were killed in 2009 and 108 in 2010 due to natural disasters and other accidents."
The minister was responding to the query of Noakhali-1 MP A M Mahbubuddin Khokan during the question-answer.
The day's proceedings began at 5:20pm.
Responding to a question of reserved women MP Sadhana Halder, the minister said the number of incoming ships increased during the current government's tenure.
"In 2010-11, some 30 ships reached the ports every month.
"The total number of incoming ships in the current fiscal was 256 until April this year, while the number of arrivals was 156 in 2009-10, 191 in 2008-09 and 95 in 2007-08," he added.
The minister said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) had 12 row-row ferries, "which is not sufficient".
"Of those 10 are plying under Aricha sector and the two other in Mawa," he said in reply to a query from Mesbahuddin Farhad.
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