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Dhaka, Wednesday   15 May 2024

Staff Reporter

Published: 14:50, 1 May 2023

Uncontrolled houseboats at Tanguar Haor!

Houseboats are running uncontrollably in Tanguar Haor. Young and young women are the main customers of these houseboats. A traveler who did not want to be named said that NID is required to verify the relationship if staying overnight in a hotel motel with young women.

But no NID is required if staying overnight in a houseboat. Also, there is a lot of drugs in the houseboats. Sometimes tourists bring drugs with them. Again the sailors of the special boats are managing them. Complaints of local dignitaries - to expose the cabin (room) of every boat and houseboat to protect the environment of Howarpar.

Meanwhile, although there are administrative policies for determining the rent of steel body boats in Tangua Haor, houseboats have grown uncontrollably as there is no policy for houseboats. In the past years, the steel body boat in Tangua Haor was 8,000 for a day tour and double that for an overnight stay. But no fare is fixed on houseboats. Because of this, the tourists coming to Tanguare are being deprived of consumer rights. Last year there were around 60 houseboats in Tangua Haor. This year, around 200 houseboats are under construction on the banks of the river in Haor area.
The conscious community of Haorpar has strongly demanded the administration to take immediate control of the houseboats to protect the biodiversity and environment of Tanguar Haor.

Nazir Hossain, a resident of Anandnagar village in Tangua Haorpar, said that a house boat with at least 20 tourists per package comes on a trip to Tangua Haorpar. By doing this, they charge 6 and a half thousand rupees per person. Out of this, they spend 1000 taka per person to feed them for 5 meals. 1 lakh 30 thousand taka collected from 20 people. 30,000 rupees including boat rental. But as there is no official regulation they earn 90 thousand rupees per trip.
Apart from this, the houseboats do not want to take the trip if there are public holidays for Puja, Eid, Fulmoon and two consecutive days. Tells the tourists that their booking is done. If you agree to pay extra money at that time, take the booking.

Sohanur Rahman Sohag, the tourist guide of Tanguar Haor, said that it is necessary to bring the houseboats under control in the same way that the administration has brought the rental and movement of local boats carrying tourists in Tanguar Haor under control. Since the houseboats are not under the control of the administration, they are collecting the package rent from the tourists. He also demanded from the administration that the houseboats should be taken from Howarpar in Tangua.

Boatman Faisal Ahmad said, most of the tourists coming to Tangua Haor are young women of rising age. Before renting a boat, they want to go inside the boat to see if there is a locked cabin. They don't want to rent a boat that doesn't have a cabin.

Shaukat Hasan of Ratanshree village said that before the arrival of houseboats in Tangua, husband and wife could not be seen together. As there is no government control, boys and girls spend the night in houseboats in Abad. There are no houseboats that cannot be checked for drugs.

Assistant Deputy Director of Sunamganj District Consumer Rights Protection Office Al Amin said that the local administration will determine the fare of the boat or houseboat for the tourists to travel to Tangua Haor. In that case, if there is an excess of the rent determined by the local administration, action will be taken under consumer rights.

Tahirpur Upazila Executive Officer Suprabhat Chakma said, many have complained to me about this. Measures will be taken soon to regulate the fares and movement of houseboats.

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