The daily ferry service of the lone sea truck of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) has remained suspended for the indefinite period.

BIWTC is operating only one steamer, MV Baro Aoulia, with a carrying capacity of some 900 passengers twice a week between Sandwip and Chittagong, sources said. Sandwip is an offshore island some 45km off the BIWTC terminal at Sadarghat in the port city.

It forces some 4,000 passengers to cross the channel by privately owned trawlers and motorised boats(MB) to and from Sandwip, risking their lives everyday and falling victim to frequent incidents of boat capsize.

At least 15 people, most of them are children and women, drowned when MB Imrul Kayesh, owned by one Mosharraf of Sandwip, sank in the channel near Kumira Ghat at Baro Kumira under Sitakunda Police Station on June 8. It operates between Guptachhara Ghat in Sandwip and Kumira Ghat in Chittagong.

Few hours earlier, a cargo boat, MB Azmir, also owned by Mosharraf, capsized in the channel near Guptachhari Ghat where at least one person remained missing.

An engine boat capsized at the same place of Kumiraghat in November last year.

Local people and passengers said the accidents occurred for lack of proper management of ghats and monitoring of operation of vessels operating without fitness certificates and route permits. Absence of BIWTC sea truck is also responsible for the frequent accidents at the ghat, they added.

Even after the June 8 incident the BIWTC authorities are yet to restore operation of ferry service in the Kumira-Guptachhara route.

The leaders of Sandwip Association in Chittagong demanded immediate resumption of the ferry service at Kumira-Guptachhara route.

They blamed the authorities as well as the leaseholder of Kumira Ghat for the June 8 casualties.

The association leaders threatened to file cases against the authorities of BIWTC, District Council, Chittagong and the leaseholder in connection with the tragic incident.

BIWTC used to operate three steamers MV Baro Aoulia, MV Alauddin and MV Manirul Haq, from Chittagong to Barisal via Sandwip four times a week till June last year. During the period it also operated sea truck Khizir-5 with a carrying capacity of some 400 passengers between Kumira and Guptachhara daily.

But with the over three-decade old and worn MV Manirul Haq and MV Alauddin gone out of order, BIWTC now operates only MV Baro Aoulia from Chittagong to Hatiya en route to Sandwip only twice or once a week.

The sea truck also suspended its operation earlier this year, said the sources concerned.

Privately owned unfit engine boats dominate the ghat as there is no sea truck or steamer service of BIWTC on the route, the people from Sandwip said.

The vessels operating across the channel through six ghats are under the control of Chittagong District Council from Barabkunda under Sitakunda to Banshbaria under Mirer Sarai upazila.

BIWTC is responsible to provide ferry service at Kumira-Guptachhara route while the district council is supposed to lease out Kumira Ghat to privately-run vessels only to carry cargo not passenger, said Sandwip Association General Secretary Mosharraf Hossain.

BIWTC engaged Khizir-5 to resume its operation on this route in November last year but was withdrawn in May as the sea became rough, he said.

Rangabali, a steamer, could replace it, he said. But it did not happen as BIWTC had chartered the steamer to a private operator, he added.

"Though BIWTC under its agreement could put Rangabali into operation here, the steamer having its engine out of order was lying idle at Sadarghat. Khizir-5 was also lying in the same condition," sources said.

In this regard, the leaders of Sandwip Association on Thursday resented over giving charter of Rangabali to a private firm when BIWTC could not provide service due to shortage of vessels.

General Manager (Commerce) Kamal Uddin in Dhaka told The Daily Star over phone that BIWTC could not operate Rangabali as it could not afford the money for salaries of staffs, repair and maintenance of the steamer.

He said "We, however, have arrangement with the charter and hope to resume its operation on Kimira-Guptachhara route after a few necessary repair and maintenance are done within 15 days."

Chittagong District Council Chief Executive Officer Mashiur Rahman said there is no restriction for the privately operated vessels or motorised boats to ferry passengers through the Kumira-Guptachhara ghats.

He said leaseholder can allow anyone to operate private vessels or motorised boats with fitness certificates and clearance from the authorities concerned.

"Any vessel or motorised boat operating without fitness certificate or necessary permission will face legal action," Mashiur said.

Mashiur, however, refused to say about measures to check the operation of unfit vessels that cause accidents frequently.

Meanwhile, Nurul Alam Akhand, deputy general manager (commerce) of BIWTC in Chittagong, refused to talk to this correspondent about the matter. But the officials here, on condition on anonymity, said due to shortage of steamers and lack of initiatives cause sufferings to the people of Sandwip.