Launch owners will start operating special services on July 14 from Sadarghat terminal to cope with the passengers rush ahead of Eid.

"We are ready to operate additional trips of launches. We will start special operation from July 14 if excessive passengers throng to the terminal," Badiuzzaman Badal, senior vice-chairman of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carrier's) Association, told The Daily Star.

Officials of BIWTA, launch owners association and law enforcers today visited Sadarghat terminal to monitor Eid management preparation.

They also held a preparatory meeting where they decided to take all necessary measures to ensure passengers' safety.

Usually, 60 to 65 launches are operated daily from Sadarghat to different destinations. The number rises to around 100 during Eid rush.

Around 8 to 10 lakh people leave the capital through water transports in one week ahead of Eid, transport operators claimed.