BACKGROUND AND THE CREATION LO “The use of waterways by mochanised vessels in Bangladesh began more than 150 years ago. Lord William Bentinck was the name of the frst inland steamer vessel that propelled 1m the river Ganges in 1834. The steamer was owned by the Government, The India General Navigation and Railway Company Lid. UGNR).the fist inland steamer company ‘was floated on February 6.1844. During the later part of the nineteenth century (1880- 1899) as many as 898 vessels used to play the reule from Caleulta to Khulna through the ‘Sundarbans per annum, Ia the frst quarter of the twenteeth centiry the number rose te 4803. 20 During the Pakistan period eight principal operators organised IWT operation. Those were (1) B.R.S. Company (| LG.N-R Company Lid. (Il) Pak-Bay Company, IV] B.RS, Company Ld. {¥) Pak Flolla, (V1) Chalna Lighterage, (Vil) Sinclair Muaray and (VIN) E-B. Railway Flotilla, Both RS.N. and LON.R. were British Companies with registered offices in Lannion. Those two Companies carried as much as 70% of cargo and passenger traffic. BARS, was an Indian company with registered office in Calcutta. 80 During the Briish period the river conservancy work was carried out generally by the two big companies RSN. and LG.N.R As such improvement and development of IWT sector ‘were conditioned by privaie motives of the companies. The development of inland ports and terminal facilities and ancillary services for a smooth and safe navigation were fadjunets to the commercial requirements of the individual operators. ‘There vere ne provision for governmental control and maintenance of waterways. The river conservancy ‘work was carried out at the district vel by the companies. Esch district was headed by & Pilot Superintendant comprising a large establishment of pilots and surveyors grouped together and placed along the navigational routes. Each group used to cover a specified length of the waterways. They used to inspect the channels regularly using country boats ‘and measured depth wilh bambocs and other materials and demarcated the deepest part ‘or the shallow area with bamboo sticks. Whenever a vessel arrived in a particular pilot slation a Pilot went on board and guided the master of the vessel for negotiating the river. 40 In the early part of this century not much improvement was done on the waterways for navigation except in the Madaripur Beel route. The first dredger acquired in 1807 for the Improvement of navigation was “Foyer’. Uulising this dredger the Machumall river, the ‘Madaripur Beel route. the lower Kumar and Gopalgan} loop were excavated, The second dredger called “Alexandra” was purchased afterwards. Thus dredging was inroduced In the river conservancy work. But still many problems were unattended, During British period the Halifax cut was mace. The Cabkhan Khal, an existing narrow ereek between, the mighty tidal rivers was excavated and moderately widened. 5.0 ‘The Inland Waterways Bll was passed by the Bengal Legislature in 1994, This would have set up a Waterways Board, Unfortunately the set was never put into operation, Since the creation of Pakistan however several proposals were made by the various experts and ‘agencies for the cfeation of a competent stalulory organisation for the managemen operation and development of IWT sector. The experts. agencies and commnitiees which proposed creation of such an organisation were: ) United States Steel Survey Mission Year 1948 (i) UN Inaind Water Transport Study Group 1951 Ili) ON Report by J.6. Sure on [WT of India and Pakistan 1953 (iv) IWT conferences East Pakistan 1952 & 56 (vi. Ad-hoc Committee on IWT appointed by the Central Govt 1955-56 (vi) UN Report by JJ. Krugy on Water Resources of East Pakistan 1955.56 (will World Bank Survey Mission 1957 (Gill ICA Survey Mission 1957 (ix|_ First fhe year plan by the Planning Commission 1957 (x) TWT enquiry committee (Sobhen Committee) set up by the Central Govt. 1958 ‘Though many proposals were made from time to time for the creation of a statutery ‘organisation (o look aller the IWT, no effective steps were taken unlll Oct, 1958.6.0 To set up an Authority for development, maintenance and control of inland water transport and of eertain Inland navigable waterways, the then East Pakistan Government on Sst October. 1958 promulgated an ordinance called the East Pakistan Inland Water ‘Transport Authority Ordinanee. 1958 (E. P. Ordinance. No LXV of 1958). On: November 4, 1958 the Government by an order constituied a two member Authority of East Pakistan Inland Waler Transpart Authority (EPIWTA) and appointed Mr, 5. Masood Hasexin ss Chalrman and Mr. MB. Abbas A. Tas part Lime Member. Mr. Massed Hossain was then Director of Navigation, Central Engineering Authorlly, Government of Pakistan while Mr. Abbas was Chief Engineer, Flood Control Organisation, Government of East Pakistan. Mr, S. Masood Hossain teal over the respansibililies of hls office on November 1B, 1058 and with him as the frst Chairman. EPIWATA came inlo existence, Bangladesh Inland Water Tvansport Authority (BIWEA) Is the successor of Ue erstwhile EPIWTA. 7.0 With the formation of the Authority it was fell nerestary to obtain the services of personnel experienced ia specialised disciplines such a conservancy and pilotage transportation economies, port engineering, hydrography ete. in order to carry out the chartered! functions of the Authority. Thus Capt. L. Spaulding and Capt Kean of the then IRSN & IGN were appointed in the Conservancy and Pllotage Department. Mr. H. K. Vai, 1a transportation economist and Depuly Peavincial Transport Commisstoner for ‘raffle Joined the Trathe Department. Mr. & H. Khoja, a retired Port Engineer of Madras Port eok over as Port Engineer. Admiral (Retd.) 8. A. Sehank of U. S. Coast and Ceadatie ‘Survey Department and Commander (Reld.) Ro X. Husband of British Royal Navy were appointed te organise the hysrographic survey services, Thus, tm 1958-59 TWTA consisted of Tralfie, Conservancy & Pilclage, Waterways & Post Engineering. Accounts and Seeretariate departments. BO ‘These Departments, in (umn, formed the nucleus of the WTA headquarter organisation, while Mleld offices sllll remined to, be set up. During 1958:50 a (otal of $7 officers were recruited (a rarry out the functions of the newly censtiuted! Aulhostty. 81 The Depariment of Planning ‘was set up in March; 1963 16 prepare development schemes, oblain approval of the Covernment and lo monllor the schemes under execulton. Dr. Akhlaqur Rahman an eminent economist was appointed as the frst Director of Panning. 2 The Port Directorate was set up fn 1964-65 to manage the operations of the five newly: ‘established river ports, On Augusi 12. 1965. Port and Trafle Departments were merged into one department and named as Port and Trae Department. 83 Over the years the Conservancy & Pilolage Department considerably expanded tts activities im several distinct disciplines such as (i) Conservancy & Plilotage, (il) Hydrographle Survey, (iil Repair & matnienance of IWIA Meet, (i) Operation of Dredgers and (x) Training of Deck Personnel of WY vessels. For more efficent “panagerent and operations of these activities, the Authority in 1978 separated the above functions and ereated the diferent departments namely: () Conservancy and Pitotage. (i) Hydrography. and (ii) Marine and Mechanical Engineering, Allerwards the Marine Workshop af Barisal. wae given @ separate entity like» department. The Deck Personnel ‘Training Centre was alsa taken out of the contral of tye C & P Department and was given the status of @ separate department. ‘4 Initially. Finance and Audit branches were under a single Director of Finance and Accounts, Over the years it was fel that a check and balance was necessary over the ‘nancial fwnetions of the Authorlly. As such Finance andl Audit were made full Nedged separate departments. &5_ Dredging is one of the important means employed to maintain the navigability of ‘waterways and assumed considerable importance over the years due to deteriorating ‘condition of the vers. The IDA Mission on IWF of Uangaldesh recommended that & ‘separate Unit should be created for smoath and efficient operation of dredging. As such & Dredging Unit within the Aulhorty haa been calablished im 1691,