A mobile court conducted by the Department of Shipping fined nine sand-carrying vessels a total of Tk 1.7 lakh during a special inspection drive on the Sadarghat-Fatullah waterway on Saturday.

The operation was carried out from 11:00 am under the leadership of Department of Shipping Director General Commodore Md Shafiul Bari to ensure safe navigation and verify the legal and technical compliance of vessels operating on the route.

During the drive, 11 sand-carrying vessels were inspected. Authorities found that the actual dimensions of most of the vessels did not match the measurements stated in their registration documents.

Inspectors also detected a lack of mandatory life-saving appliances and navigational equipment on several vessels, posing potential risks to waterway safety.

Executive Magistrate Lusikanta Hajong of the Department of Shipping conducted the mobile court and imposed fines on nine vessels for various violations.

Speaking during the operation, Commodore Shafiul Bari said the department would continue its monitoring and legal actions against unregistered vessels, vessels modified without approval, and those operating without required safety equipment.

He urged vessel owners and operators to comply with all relevant regulations to ensure safe navigation on the country's waterways.

The director general also said such inspection drives and mobile court operations would continue regularly to safeguard passengers and other waterway users.

Chief Engineer and Ship Surveyor of the Department of Shipping Mirza Saifur Rahman and other senior officials were present during the operation.

A press release issued by the Department of Shipping said the drive was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen safety standards and enforce maritime regulations on inland waterways.