LaunchDubi: Safety buoys are useless!

The Dhaka Times Desk There are no preventive measures even though there are repeated launch sinking incidents. A lot of gossip is heard when it happens. After a few days, the same thing happens again. There are buoys for safety in the launch. But they have never been heard of during launch dives.

Incidents of launch sinking are happening again and again. The investigation committee is identifying the reasons but nothing is actually being done. All the launch sinkings that have happened so far have been caused by carrying too many passengers. But no action has been taken against these launch owners. There was a general case, and the owners got relief by dealing with that case. This happens again and again. If there was a real penalty an owner would not be inclined to burden extra passengers.

Boya Inside the launch there is a red buoy like a big wheel. They are kept for danger. When things like launch drowning happen, it is not possible for people who do not know how to swim or even people who know how to swim to cross the huge waves of the river. So you can save your life by jumping into the river with these buoys. A buoy can float not just one but more than one person. But those buoys do not appear to have been used at the time of the accident. We never heard of a passenger going ashore with a buoy. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, there is lack of awareness among passengers about the use of buoys. Secondly, they are tied in such a way that it is not possible for anyone to use them in a hurry during a launch dive. Now the question may come, then why keep them? They are kept only for show or administrative complications. These are kept for the safety of the passengers but are never kept functional.

So the launch owners should pay attention to these buoys so that the passengers can use them in times of danger. Law enforcement agencies also need to be tougher. Overloading of passengers must be avoided. Otherwise there will be one accident after another and the relatives will be crying on the banks of the river - we don't want to see such a scene. It is our hope that the concerned authorities will think about the issues.