Unregistered river crafts glaring in the eye

This would seem like a welcome departure from Rip Van Winkle's sleep till another disaster hit us to din sense into our ears, but let us not be too optimistic just yet. The minister has made known his resolve for an action on unregistered vessels at a meeting, mind you, with a faction of Bangladesh Launch Owners' Association (Bloa) led by KM Mahmudur Rahman, not with the whole body. That is where we think the shipping ministry has put its wrong foot forward. For, without the cooperation of the entirety of the launch owners' association, the minister stands little chance of ridding the river routes of unauthorised ferry services. As if to highlight the fragmented nature of the move, the minister has asked the faction of the launch owners' association to help the department of shipping to draw up a list of unregistered vessels.

Neither the constitution of the mobile courts to check the papers of launches and cargo vessels nor an increase in their number will serve any purpose unless the rules are applied uniformly to all recalcitrant launch operators regardless of their perceived or real connections to high-ups in the ruling party. If the past is any guide, roars have turned into whimpers at the blinking of an eye from vested quarters. So that is where things have to be set right.

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