Muktadesh Desk: In order to showcase the century-old tradition of riverine Bangladesh and the history of century-old ships to the next generation, the current government has taken the initiative to include the traditional paddle steamer ‘PS Mahsud’ in the tourism service of the inland waterways. As part of this, the Advisor to the Ministry of Shipping, Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain, officially inaugurated it on Saturday (November 15).
Present at the time were – Lutfe Siddiqui, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, and several senior secretaries, secretaries and responsible officials of the government. Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, gave this information.
During the inauguration, the Shipping Advisor said, ‘Paddle Steamer PS Mahsud will be a unique combination of Bangladesh’s tradition and river-based tourism. It will start operating regularly on the Dhaka-Barisal route as a tourist service from Friday, November 21.
He said, “Principal Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has expressed his excitement over the decision to relaunch the century-old paddle steamer PS Mahsud, which is under the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), as a pleasure boat after undergoing necessary repairs.”
The Shipping Advisor further said, “PS Mahsud is not just a boat, it is a living symbol of Bangladesh’s riverine culture and heritage. We want the new generation to see up close how the river was once the lifeblood of communication and culture.”
Dr. M. Sakhawat Hossain said, “Apart from PS Mahsud, plans have been made to renovate several other old steamers including PS Ostrich, PS Lepcha and PS Turn. The goal is to preserve the heritage of the river and expand the potential of river-based tourism.’
During the ceremony, Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Dr. Nurunnahar Chowdhury NDC said, ‘If the paddle steamer is launched, it will attract many tourists from home and abroad. For foreign tourists, it will have various facilities including traditional Bangladeshi food and Bengali song performances.’
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) said that the steamer’s engine, safety and fire safety systems have been completely renewed while keeping the original structure and historical design intact. It has modern cabins, tourist-friendly decks and digital navigation systems.
The steamer will run on the Dhaka-Barisal route every Friday and on Saturday from Barisal to Dhaka. Passengers will be able to enjoy a unique travel experience of the river’s beauty, history and heritage. To ensure safety, international standard safety equipment, lifeboats, fire safety and GPS systems have been added to it. The engine uses low-smoke emission technology, which will help reduce pollution on the river.
Initially, the steamer will travel from Dhaka to Barisal once a week. It will depart from Sadarghat in Dhaka at 8 am every Friday and reach Barisal at night. Earlier, the steamer used to operate at night; however, BIWTC officials hope that people will be more interested in enjoying the view of the river and its banks by operating the steamer during the day.