More than 100,000 illegal vessels plying across Bangladesh

There are more than 100,000 small and large inland vessels plying across the country, including passenger and cargo carriers.

The number of vessels registered by the Department of Shipping (DoS), the regulatory authority of the shipping sector, is only 14,000. However, there are more than 100,000 small and large inland vessels plying across the country, including passenger and cargo carriers.

The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways gave the information in a statement on Saturday.

It is mentioned in the statement that the terrible information of several times more unregistered vessels than registered vessels has been revealed in the written and oral statements of the one more former director generals of the DoS.

NCPSRR has urged that lakhs of illegal inland water vessels plying across the country be brought under the law.

The NCPSRR president Haji Mohammad Shahid Mia and general secretary Ashis Kumar Dey made this demand in a statement said a press release. For implementation of the demand, the organisation has urged to start the boat census immediately.

The statement of the National Committee further said that the large number of unregistered and unfit boats is not ensuring maritime safety and the risk of accidents continues to increase.

Besides, the government is losing at least hundred crores of revenue every year due to non-payment of income tax and VAT from lakhs of vessels.

The National Committee strongly demanded to start the boat census on an urgent basis and identify the illegal boats and bring those under the law to establish a safe and modern inland water transport system as promised by the Prime Minister.