page_title: Port of Barisal
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Port of Barisal / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Barisal River Port বাংলা: বরিশাল নদী বন্দর (বিআইডব্লুটিএ)
context_page_description: The Port of Barisal, officially known as Barisal River Port is the second largest and busiest river port in Bangladesh after Dhaka in terms of passenger traffic. It is located on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in the city of Barisal. The port operates daily services between Dhaka and Barisal as well as most of the districts in southern part of the country including Chandpur, Narayanganj, Bhola, Laxmipur, Pirojpur and Barguna. It also operates inter-district routes around Barisal.
  The port of Barisal is an important hub of transportation system connecting different parts of Bangladesh through waterways. It is also considered as a transit point between Mongla and Chittagong marine ports, Khulna and Dhaka and other river ports of Bangladesh as well as between West Bengal and Assam and Tripura of India.
context_section_description: The Barisal river port has a recorded existence since the Mughal Empire. It was then called "Gird-e-Bandar", a river station which was known for the trade of salt, spices, and woods. It was turned into Barisal Bandar (port) during the British rule after the town committee was established in 1869 and achieved municipal status in 1876.
  Steamers first began to use the rivers of Barisal shortly before 1880. In 1884 Bengal Central Flotilla Company introduced regular steamer service between Barisal and Khulna. Subsequently, Barisal became an important steamer centre for both inter-district routes and as a station on the main route from other districts of Bangladesh to Calcutta and as a terminus for branch lines from Chittagong, Noakhali and Madaripur. There existed also a number of feeder services in the interior of the district. It later became the regional headquarters of Indian General Navigation, River Steam Navigation, Indian General River Steamer companies in British period to connect North and Eastern part of Bengal with the capital city.
  After the 1947 Bengal partition, Pakistan River Steamer Services (PRS) was formed and handed over its service it to East Pakistan Inland Water Transport Authority (EPIWTA) in 1958. Formed under East Pakistan Inland Water Transportation Ordinance’ the EPIWTA gave Barisal River Station the status of River Port in 1960. Followed by the independence of Bangladesh, EPIWTA was named as Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), which currently takes care of all related development, maintenance, and operations of inland water transport and of inland waterways in Bangladesh.
caption: Barisal launch terminal
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