The government on Sunday decided to allow interested private companies to operate water bus services on waterways around Dhaka, as part of a broader initiative, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, to revive the capital’s river transport network.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister at the Cabinet Division’s conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin.

The meeting also decided to restore and keep navigable the waterways surrounding the capital to improve water-based transportation and ease urban mobility.

As part of the initiative, proposals from interested private companies will be evaluated before they are allowed to operate water bus services on the designated routes.

The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to take coordinated steps to curb pollution in the rivers surrounding Dhaka, improve the capital’s drainage system and ensure normal water flow by maintaining navigability.

He stressed that efforts to revive the waterways must go hand in hand with protecting the river ecosystem and improving overall urban management.

Tarique Rahman also instructed the authorities to plant a variety of trees along the walkways constructed beside the rivers to enhance the environment and improve the aesthetic appeal of the riverbanks.Road Transport, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan, Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon and senior officials of the relevant ministries and agencies were present.