Directive given to take action against overloading: PM

She told parliament that the government had also taken a number of measures to check launch disasters in the country's river routes.

Replying to a question from Dr Syed Maqbul Hossain, she said the steps include regular checking of registration and survey certifications of the vessels, ensuring necessary safety gears on the launches and restriction on night trips of launches below capacity of 150 passengers from April 16 to June 15the period of tropical storms that cause most of the ferry accidents.

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Khaleda told the lawmakers that a "Launch Disaster Prevention Project" has been included in the 2004-2005 ADP with components like a Tk 25 crore revolving fund for modernisation of vessels and installation of weather forecast station at 11 points along the river routes at a cost of Tk 5.28 crore and setting up of a Ship Model Testing Lab at a cost of Tk 9.87 crore.

"A taskforce formed with officials of the Shipping Ministry pays regular visit to the launch terminals to ensure execution of the government decisions against overloading," she said.

She also said that directives had been given to the authorities concerned not to provide fitness certificates to launches that do not have water-tight hulls while measures have been taken to upgrade and make the existing shipping laws time-befitting.

Training programmes for sailors have also been strengthened, she added.

Awareness programmes for the passengers on various aspects of safety are being broadcast over radioand television.