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Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority

department · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head
Rear Admiral Arif Ahmed Mostafa
Role
Chairman
Annual budget
—
Staff
—
Established
1958
Legal basis
The Inland Water Transport Authority Ordinance, 1958 (East Pakistan Ordinance No. LXXV of 1958); continued in force in Bangladesh after independence under the Laws Continuance Enforcement Order, 1971; amended in 1997.

Managing three concurrent pressures entering the 2026 monsoon season: (1) ghat and ferry safety enforcement following the Sadarghat launch collision (February 2026) and the Daulatdia bus-into-river tragedy that killed 26 (March 2026); (2) digital vessel registration rollout mandated by the Ministry of Shipping; (3) monsoon preparedness crackdown on illegal trawlers and speedboats in the Meghna danger zone while seeking Finance Division approval for a capital dredging programme in greater Sylhet.

Recent activity

Provenance & notes

BIWTA was established on October 31, 1958, under the East Pakistan Inland Water Transport Authority Ordinance, No. LXXV of 1958; the ordinance was amended in 1997 and continues in force under Bangladesh law. Headquarters: BIWTA Bhaban, Motijheel, Dhaka. BIWTA manages 22 inland ports and approximately 800 launch ghats, including Sadarghat (Dhaka River Port), the busiest inland passenger terminal in Bangladesh and among the busiest in the world. The authority oversees approximately 24,000 km of waterways with navigability maintained on a seasonal basis. Chairman Rear Admiral Arif Ahmed Mostafa (promoted to Rear Admiral rank) took office on March 6, 2023; no primary source confirms his replacement under the BNP government sworn in February 17, 2026 -- head_since date reflects the 2023 appointment date and current_head reflects the last verified officeholder. The chairman position was upgraded to Grade 1 (equivalent to Rear Admiral) on December 2, 2025. staff_count omitted: no primary source gives a verified sanctioned post count for BIWTA as a standalone figure. annual_budget_bdt omitted: BIWTA's budget is embedded within ADP project allocations under the Ministry of Shipping and is not disclosed as a standalone operating budget in accessible public documents. Daulatdia tragedy: death toll in secondary sources varies from 18 to 26; the TBS sourced figure of 26 confirmed bodies handed to families is used here as it is based on the probe body's field report. The 2026 monsoon enforcement window (March 15 to October 15) on the Meghna danger zone is a recurring annual operational order, not a new 2026 directive. Verification: 2+ primary sources cross-checked for all key claims.

Sources