A 17-member civil inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the real cause of fire and casualties in the passenger launch MV Abhijan-10.
The committee is to identify those responsible and make necessary recommendations for building a risk-free people-friendly waterways communication system.
A total of 15 social organizations including Environment Protection Movement (Poribesh Banchao Andolan -- POBA) took the initiative to form this committee.
Abu Naser Khan, chairman of POBA announced the formation of the committee at a press conference held at the POBA office at Kalabagan in Dhanmondi on Tuesday. The committee will submit a report with recommendations within the next three weeks.
Abu Naser Khan has been made the convener of the Civil Investigation Committee. Aminur Rasul Babul, member secretary of the Safe Waterways Implementation Movement, and Ashish Kumar Dey, journalist, writer and shipping researcher, have been appointed member secretaries and chief coordinators of the committee, respectively.
Prof Mir Tareq Ali of Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET), former Director General of Water Resources Planning Agency Engineer Md Enamul Haque and Mohammad Abdul Hamid, former chief naval engineer at V. Ships in Glasgow, UK will act as experts.
In a written statement issued to the press, it was said that after the official release of the report of the Civil Investigation Committee, the report along with the recommendations will be submitted to the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Shipping and its subordinate departments, boat owners’ associations and shipping workers' organizations.
In addition, as two separate writ petitions filed by two lawyers in connection with the fire are pending in the High Court, the report of the Citizens' Committee will be presented to the concerned bench of the court through the Attorney General.
Abu Naser Khan said,“The committee was formed to find out the real causes of fire and casualties in MV Abhijan-10 launch, identify those responsible and make necessary recommendations for building a people-friendly waterways communication system free from accident risk in future.” President of National Committee for Protection of Shipping, Roads and Railways, Haji Mohammad Shahid Mia, Barrister Nishad Mahmud, General Secretary of Civil Rights Protection Forum Mohammad Tayyab Ali and others were present at the press conference.
