Staff Reporter:
The long-awaited ferry service on the Chattogram-Sandwip route was launched at Chattogram by the Chief Adviser Prof. Yunus through a video conference from Dhaka yesterday, marking a significant milestone for the four lakh residents of Sandwip Island.
The Ministry of Shipping has launched the service on this route, said an official press release yesterday.
Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Shakhawat Hossain inaugurated the newly constructed fer-ry terminal and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus station at Banshbaria in Sitakunda at 8:30am.
The launch of this ferry service on the Chattogram-Sandwip route has fulfilled a long-cherished dream of Sandwip’s residents, said the adviser, adding that the service now enables all types of vehicles, includ-ing buses, trucks, tank lorries, minibuses and private cars, to reach the island directly.
This development is expected to improve the quality of life and boost the economic capacity of Sand-wip’s inhabitants, he added.
After the inauguration, a public gathering was held at the Sandwip Upazila premises. Chief Adviser Pro-fessor Dr. Muhammad Yunus addressed the event virtually as the chief guest.
Adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources and Road Transport and Bridges Min-ister, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan; Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Water Resources, Syeda Rizwana Hasan; Adviser to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and Disaster Management and Relief, Farook-e Azam; Primary and Mass Education Adviser, Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar; Fisheries and Livestock Adviser, Farida Akhter; and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, along with Professor Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, also attended the event as special guests.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman, Commodore Arif Ahmed Mostafa, delivered the welcome address at the event, while Senior Shipping Secretary Mohammad Yousuf presid-ed over the function.
The ferry will operate between Banshbaria in Chattogram’s Sitakunda Upazila and Guptachara in Sand-wip.
