Western Marine make a ferry

Ship building company Western Marine Shipyard Limited on Saturday started making a ro-ro ferry, first of its kind in the country, at a cost of Tk 29 crore for the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation. Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan inaugurated the construction work of the ferry as chief guest at a function at the shipyard at Kolagaon area under Patiya upazila in Chittagong. Member of the parliament Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury, shipping secretary Abdul Mannan Hawlader, and Chittagong Port Authority chairman RU Ahmed attended the inaugural function as special guests. The company sources said the company was expecting to deliver the ferry, with capacity to carry 20 heavy vehicles, 340 passengers and 25 crewmen, by December 2010. The ferry will be commissioned at the Charjanajat ferry terminal in Munshiganj, the sources added.