The objective review of the long and persistent tragic saga of our launch disasters with very concrete recommendations by Mr. Hossain must be appreciated by all. His reference to more than 100 years passenger service operation in our vast network of river transport system/coastal belt by IGN-RSN and later by EP Shipping Corporation without any major accidents of the type now happening is most significant to ponder on the part of all in this context. Repeated pointer to this very fact of important and almost trouble free/safe example of navigation in the same waterways in the past must be taken into serious consideration. Mr. Hossain is absolutely correct to say that the definite cleaner record of the past river transportation was possible due to the ships' high standard of construction with appropriate degree of stability to work under worst conditions. It is also a fact that reasonable care/attention by the operators were ensured by the owners of that time as they were made accountable for their actions/performance. All the suggestions in the letter including the World Bank findings together with those steps put forward by its expert team as early as 1994 (as stated) must be implemented immediately. First action for the authority ought to be the formation of the ISSA (Inland Ship Safety Administration), one single body replacing the current so many agencies responsible for the same task thus providing scope of blaming each other for failures at all times. It should be the job of ISSA with appropriate personnel/power, resources to organise itself with a target set by the government to bring in a positive change and improvement to the present casualty record (since it will not be possible to achieve absolute safety). Let us not keep ignoring or be indifferent with such readily available course of actions apparently recommended by the World Bank engaged team of experts while death toll goes on increasing year after year in launch disasters.