Touristless Sundarbans as Vessel Strike Continues for Second Day
In Mongla, for the second consecutive day on Tuesday (6 January), a strike by owners of tourist-carrying jali boats, launches, and trawlers operating in the Sundarbans is ongoing. Under this strike, an estimated total of around four hundred small and large vessels have come under its purview. As a result of the strike by these tourist vessels, the Sundarbans has become devoid of tourists.
Tourists who arrived at the Mongla picnic corner from distant places are being forced to return disappointed.
The strike was primarily called after officials and employees of the Department of Shipping (Khulna) on Sunday cut and dismantled the upper structural parts of at least 30 jali boats located in the Mongla ferry ghat area and took away those materials. This not only damaged the aesthetic appeal of the boats but also destroyed the comfortable seating environment for tourists. Therefore, the affected boat owners announced the strike from Monday in protest against such actions by the Department of Shipping.
Tourist vessel owners claim that the Director General (Shipping) of the Department of Shipping is harassing them unnecessarily by trapping them in various conditions. These small vessels fall outside his jurisdiction. Using licensing as a pretext, pressure is being applied in various ways on boat owners to bring these vessels under the control of the Director General (Shipping). It is not possible for boat owners to comply with licensing requirements and other conditions. This is because the tourist season lasts only three months in the entire year, while for the rest of the time they remain idle. Therefore, it is not feasible to fulfill the Director General’s illegal conditions by paying 30,000 to 40,000 taka.
