Removal of Pontoon Marks the End of the Rocket Steamer Era at Boromashua Ghat in Mathbaria.

Syed Bashir Ahmed, Chief Reporter. The pontoon has been removed from the Boromashua steamer ghat (landing station) on the banks of the Baleshwar River. It was transported to Barishal on Wednesday afternoon. With this, the last visible remnant of the long-abandoned ghat has vanished. Once bustling with the whistles of steamers, crowds of passengers, and the loading and unloading of goods, the ghat now stands silent. According to local sources, the Boromashua steamer ghat was constructed and officially inaugurated in 1988. Later, in 2009, a pontoon and a Bailey bridge were installed with funding from the Netherlands government to facilitate the safe boarding and disembarking of passengers. Boromashua was once a vital hub for riverine transport in the southern region. People from various areas of Barguna, Patuakhali, and Pirojpur used this ghat for their journeys. Beyond transporting passengers to destinations like Dhaka, Barishal, and Khulna, the ghat also served as a transit point for commercial goods. Conversations with local elders reveal that the area used to be a hive of activity during the days of steamer operations. The moment the steamer's whistle blew at the scheduled time, a flurry of movement would begin among passengers and their relatives; some waited to depart, while others came to bid farewell to loved ones. Once the steamer departed, a relative silence would settle back over the riverbank. However, the importance of Boromashua Ghat gradually declined with the development of road networks and the eventual discontinuation of the steamer service. After passenger transport via waterways ceased, the pontoon remained abandoned at the site for a long time, serving as a poignant reminder of a bygone era of river travel. With its removal on Wednesday, nothing remains of the ghat's former appearance. Now, only the site itself and the memories of those times linger on the banks of the Baleshwar. Local resident Bishwajit Majumdar remarked, "Boromashua Ghat was not merely a place for vessels to dock; it shared a deep, long-standing connection with the lives of the people in this region." People utilized this terminal for various purposes, including employment, business, medical needs, and staying in touch with relatives. Veteran farmer Amal Roy remarked that even though the era of river travel has ended, memories of the bustling days at Boromashua Ghat will remain vivid for the locals. Although the pontoon was eventually removed with the passage of time, stories of those days—when the banks of the Baleswar River echoed with the whistles of steamers—will endure in people's memories. Mathbaria Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Ataur Rabbi stated that the government decided to discontinue the service of the country's only paddle-wheel steamer due to financial losses; consequently, the terminal had remained unused. On Wednesday, the maritime authorities relocated the 'Rocket' terminal to Barishal.