Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority

The authority is balancing critical infrastructure maintenance with government austerity directives amid public scrutiny over project expenditures.

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.