Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain today warned launch operators that their licences and route permits would be cancelled if they fail to comply with regulations.
"Launches operating without a licensed driver, failing to turn on lights, or violating regulations will have their licenses and route permits revoked," he told reporters.
Commenting on today's accident involving two launches on the Meghna river in Chandpur that claimed four lives, the adviser said an expert committee has been formed to investigate the incident.
"The way one vessel hit the other suggested that the person operating it may have fallen asleep or handed control to someone else," he observed.
The adviser said launches have been instructed not to operate at night during foggy conditions until visibility improves.
The families of the deceased in today's accident will receive Tk 1.5 lakh each, and the injured Tk 50,000 each, he added.
FP/MI
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