The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (abbr. BIWTC, Bengali: বাংলাদেশ অভ্যন্তরীণ নৌ-পরিবহন কর্পোরেশন),[1] is a government-owned company that owns and operates inland vessels and ports in Bangladesh, headquartered in Dhaka.[2][3]
The organisation gains the majority of its revenue by operating ferry services. It also offers coastal passenger services, container and cargo services, ship repair and breaking services.[4]
The company was founded in 1972 after the Liberation of Bangladesh. It was placed in charge of through the nationalisation of East Pakistan Shipping Corporation and other private shipping corporations.[2][5]
In September 2022, the BIWTC suspended inland passenger services citing a lack of passengers.[4]
Although passenger services are not in operation as of 2024[update],[4] the corporation has five historic paddle steamers in its passenger ferry fleet: the PS Ostrich (1929), PS Mahsud (1928), PS Lepcha (1938), PS Tern (1950), and the MV Shela (1951).[7] The company commissioned the modern MV Madhumoti (2015) and the MV Bangali (2014) passenger ferries for the first time in six decades, each 76 metres (249 ft) long and capable of carrying 750 passengers, from Western Marine Shipyard.[8]
Roll-on/roll-off ferries
BIWTC runs roll-on/roll-off ferry services for vehicles on seven routes, bridging destinations inaccessible directly by road:[9]