Govt to allow private water buses to revive Dhaka waterways

Online Desk : The government on Sunday decided to allow private companies to operate water bus services on waterways surrounding Dhaka as part of a broader initiative led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to revitalise the capital’s river transport network.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister at the Cabinet Division’s conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat, according to Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin.

The meeting also resolved to restore and maintain the navigability of waterways around Dhaka to strengthen water-based transportation and improve urban mobility.

Under the initiative, proposals from interested private companies will be reviewed before they are granted permission to operate water bus services on designated routes.

The Prime Minister directed the relevant authorities to take coordinated measures to reduce pollution in the rivers surrounding the capital, improve Dhaka’s drainage system and ensure smooth water flow by maintaining navigable waterways.

He said the effort to revive the waterways should be accompanied by the protection of river ecosystems and improvements in overall urban management.

Tarique Rahman also instructed the authorities to plant a variety of trees along riverside walkways to enhance the environment and improve the aesthetic appeal of the riverbanks.

The meeting was attended by Road Transport, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan, Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon, and senior officials from the relevant ministries and agencies.