Private launch owners yesterday put forward two new proposals that aim to make large profits, but also put passengers' lives at risk.

The proposals are: stopping the ongoing process of resurveying fitness of launches across the country and allowing the vessels to ply on Shimulia-Kawrakandi route on Padma at night ahead of Eid this month.

They placed the proposals at a meeting convened by the shipping ministry to chalk-out an action plan for ensuring passengers' safety when travelling during Eid-ul Azha.

However, talking to The Daily Star, several officials of the Department of Shipping and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said the launches, which ply on that route, are not fit for operation at night on the rough Padma. 

At the meeting, Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carrier's) Association, said, "As there will be a huge rush of passengers ahead of Eid, we believe the government will fulfil our demands for the passengers' sake." 

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan along with over a dozen of top level shipping officials, who attended the function, did not protest the proposals. Rather they were silent.

After the Pinak-6 capsized in the Padma in August last year, the shipping ministry decided to resurvey fitness of different single-decker launches that ply on river routes.

Resurvey is necessary to check whether the launch is fit to ply on that particular route or if it needs some repair or modification, said officials of the shipping department.

"We have decided to resurvey around 300 launches across the country. Of them, we have completed around 87 and found technical and engineering faults in some launches. We have asked the launch owners to repair those," said Commodore M Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan, director general of the shipping department.

He said the resurveying process would continue till the ministry takes a decision otherwise.

As per existing rule of BIWTA, no launch is allowed to ply on Shimulia-Kawrakandi route after sunset.

"We think the government should allow us to operate launches on this route at least till 11:00pm during Eid rush," said Mahbub Uddin.

Prof Mir Tareque Ali of the Department of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering of Buet said if the proposals are implemented, it would surely cause accidents and take lives.

Moreover, if resurvey is stopped, the owners would operate unfit vessels, he added. 

Asked about the proposals, Shipping Secretary Shafique Alam Mehdi said the owners have placed the proposals but it does not mean that they would be okayed.

He said they would consider passengers' safety before taking a decision.