DHAKA: Every one was very much cautious apprehending a certain clash of the waterbus’s mast with the bridge.
The group of fifteen artists, journalists and photographers who were having pleasant time in sun and wind on the roof of the waterbus became anxious.
But the mast of the waterbus slightly jumped up just two to three inches away of the iron bridge. It later geared back for two to three feet.
Earlier, the master of Waterbus-5 Noor Hossain Sumon saved the transport at Rupganj Bridge. At that time the bulb set on the mast was put down to cross the bridge. That was a matter of about six inches. But this time about one and half feet has been stuck at Ichhapura Bridge.
If any bridge is constructed over river Balu then according to rules it should have vertical clearance of 25 feet. It means in rainy season the height of water level should be above 25 feet from the deck of water transport. But the height of the Ichapur Bridge is less than 11 feet.
The eastern bank is Ichhapura of Rupganj while the west is the boundary of Khilkhet police station. Load-shedding was going on both sides. There is a pitch dark under the bridge. In the evening at 7:00pm the blackish water of Balu has caught all the darkness. Shops of both sides were having alternative poor lighting arrangements. Some more river crafts were anchored there as they could not cross the bridge.
Under this compelling situation the waterbus was brought to the shore. A big godown is being constructed there on a bamboo craft in the river. We had to go to the shore under the bamboo craft by downing our body. As if we were bowing our heads down to the grabbing culture.
Dhaka archeological book writer committee field worker Ahmed Muniruddin Topu was giving thanks over cell phone to Barkatullah, AGM (Dhaka Station) of BIWTC for this ‘dangerous service’. However, his speaking style was really enjoyable to all.
The bridge hassle made the circular trip closed. The circular trip was designed for Badamtoli via Tongi canal and river Turag. But our hopes were dashed down. In the morning the 83-capacity water taxi started its journey and traveled the rivers Buriganga, Dhaleswari and Shitaylakhya but finally it was stuck in river Balu.
Journalists Murshed Ali Khan, Mahmuda Chowdhury, Munni Saha, Tarun Sarkar, Rajib Noor, Farzana Rupa, Shamima binte Rahman, Borhanul Haque Samrat, Raisul Islam, Haimanti Shahanaj Chowdhury, Walid Sikdar, artiste Shahinur Rahman, painters Sharif Al Masudur Rahman and Ishrat Jahan, photographers Sheikh Hasan and Joyita Roy, cultural activist Kabir Hossain Taposh, writers Walid Sikdar, Razu and Soumik Islam Atanu were on board.
However, Dhaka architectural book writing committee chairman and also Dhaka University vice-chancellor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Bangladesh Architect Institute president Professor Abu Sayeed M Ahmed and translator–researcher Mowlana Nuruddin Fatehpuri and few others were saved from this suffering.
Architect Sazzadur Rashed returned back much earlier from Nabiganj ghat of Narayanganj after being injured while jumping down from waterbus.
The stranded waterbus returned back with only journalist Sharifuddin sabuj as he will go to Narayanganj.
According to the information from the book ‘Akranto Nodi Akranto Jalabhumi’ by Tarun Sarkar, not only the Ichapura bridge, the heights of bridges of Kamarpara over Tongi canal and two rail bridges of Tongi are not above 8 feet of the water level.
Heights of the two road bridges over Tongi are 10 feet and the height of Demra Bridge is 11 feet. So, heights of all these bridges are less than half of the minimum required 25 feet set as the fixed bridge construction rules.
These low height bridges built over Balu, Tongi and Turag rivers are the main obstacles for river circular routes around the capital. Water circular route cannot be possible keeping these existing low height bridges around Dhaka.
Number of these bridges on the north, east and west are about 17. No rules were followed except two or three during construction. Of the total bridges R&H department owns 8/9, LGED owns 6 and Bangladesh Railway two bridges.
There are allegations from BIWTA that the concerned authorities have constructed these bridges violating the set rules.
After physical visit it was seen that from Ichhapura Bridge to Ashulia big size waterbuses cannot cross under at least five bridges. From Tongi Bridge to Narayanganj small size 44-seat capacity can run but the big size cannot.
But none of the higher authority of BIWTC had clear idea about the problem.
To have a glimpse of old architectures around Dhaka city by traveling in the river circular route we physically met all the top brasses of BIWTC including Director (commercial) Faruq Ahmed, GM Shahadat Hossain, AGMs Azmal Hossain and Barkatullah for allotment of a waterbus.
We also contacted with Master of Waterbus-5 Sumon. Mizanur Rahman was contacted over cell phone. While we were in river Balu, journalists Murshed Ali Khan phoned the chairman who replied that he was with the shipping minister in Chandpur.
But none of them could foretell that the waterbus would be stuck at Ichhapura Bridge. They said that the waterbus would go up to Tongi Bridge.
Then they would require a trawler to cross the Ashulia Bridge. They would have to take Waterbus-4. But much before Tongi Bridge the waterbus got stuck. The program thus ended in fiasco.
BDST: 1735 HRS, SEPT 20, 2015
Shahjahan/RR
