Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority

What Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority does

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is the statutory autonomous body under the Ministry of Shipping, Government of Bangladesh, functioning as the exclusive development and regulatory authority for the country's inland water transport sector. It regulates navigation safety, vessel licensing, ferry terminal and ghat/jetty operations, dredging, and hydrographic surveying, while also providing passenger ferry services that connect regions separated by Bangladesh's major river systems. The authority serves two principal customer segments: the general public using ferry routes across Dhaka and the Narayanganj-Barisal-Patuakhali-Aricha corridor (105+ routes), and water transport operators who depend on BIWTA for route permits, navigation clearances, and voyage permissions.

BIWTA's operational technology portfolio comprises a set of dedicated e-government service portals — including the Navigation Clearance Application Portal (biwtavhc.gov.bd), the E-Enlistment & Smart Voyage Permission System (protocol.biwta.gov.bd), a Pontoon Management System, and a Real-Time Tidal Data System — alongside a Standard High Water Level (SHWL) database covering 166 locations nationwide. Supporting capabilities include hydrographic survey operations, dredging management, internal HRMS and Zimbra-based webmail, and DEPTC training programs at Narayanganj, Barisal, and Madaripur. The authority also operationalizes the Bangladesh-India Inland Waterway Protocol Route, enabling cross-border navigation under a bilateral framework.

BIWTA's revenue model combines annual Government of Bangladesh budget allocations, transactional own-source income (port fees, ghat/point leases, jetty licenses, route permits, property rent, and sand/moorum extraction), and development-partner funding (notably from the World Bank for BRWTP-1 and JRSMP-1). FY 2019-2020 total income was Taka 3,17,914.44 lakhs, of which own-source income was Taka 25,433.83 lakhs and government grants Taka 50,479.17 lakhs. Five-year revenue expenditure (FY 2015-2020) totaled Taka 3,36,907.78 lakhs, reflecting sustained institutional scaling. Distribution is via physical ferry terminals and zonal offices combined with the digital portal network; pricing is published through tariff schedules for vessel/cargo categories and passenger fares for designated waterway zones.

Name

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority

Legal name

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority

Website

https://biwta.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is the statutory government body under the Ministry of Shipping that exclusively regulates inland waterways, manages ferry and terminal operations, and provides navigation clearances and hydrographic data services across Bangladesh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inland Waterway Transport Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Publicly Operated Ferry Authorities (Municipal/Regional) (TLAFALAK), Transportation Regulators (Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road) (BPAIAOAL)

Keywords

• Inland waterway transport
• Ferry terminal operations
• Navigation safety services
• Waterway infrastructure management
• Vessel licensing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Revenue Budget: BIWTA receives funding from Government of Bangladesh through annual revenue budgets. Development and revenue expenditure data shows recurring government allocation for operations.
2. Own Source Revenue: Income generated from port fees, ghat/point lease income, jetty license fees, route permit fees, rent from BIWTA bungalows, and sand/moorum extraction (balamahal) revenue. Financial reports show own source income ranging from Taka 20,804 to 25,433.83 lakhs annually.
3. Development Partner Funding: Funding from international development partners including World Bank for projects such as Bangladesh Regional Waterway Transport Project-1 (BRWTP-1) and Jamuna River Sustainable Management Project-1 (JRSMP-1)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is a statutory government authority that regulates and manages inland waterway transport across Bangladesh. It operates ferry terminals and ghats, issues navigation clearances and vessel licenses, manages ghat/jetty leasing, conducts hydrographic surveys and dredging, publishes river and tidal safety notices, and provides multiple e-government service portals for vessel operators and the public.

Product overview

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is a statutory government organization functioning as a development agency for the inland water sector. Its digital presence consists of a portfolio of e-government service portals and internal management systems. The core customer-facing digital products include: the Navigation Clearance Application Portal (biwtavhc) for navigational clearances; the E-Enlistment & Smart Voyage Permission System (protocol.biwta) for vessel licensing and voyage permits; the Pontoon Management System for infrastructure operations; and the Real-Time Tidal Data System providing water level information. Supporting services include hydrographic survey data (SHWL database for 166 locations), river and maritime safety notices, Bangladesh-India Protocol Route navigation services, dredging operations management, ferry ghat/jetty management, vessel licensing, and sand/halifa resource management. Internal systems include HRMS and a Zimbra-based web mail system. DEPTC provides training programs for sector professionals. The organization also manages revenue through tolls, tariffs, and route permit fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Navigation Clearance Application Portal Online portal for vessel operators to apply for and obtain horizontal and vertical navigation clearance permits for inland waterway transport operations in Bangladesh.
• E-Enlistment and Smart Voyage Permission System Digital platform for vessel operators to complete electronic enlistment and obtain smart voyage permissions for inland water transport operations.
• Real-Time Tidal Data System Real-time tidal data monitoring and display system providing water level information across 166 locations in Bangladesh for navigational safety.
• Standard High Water Level (SHWL) Database
• Ferry Ghat and Jetty Leasing and Licensing Lease, rental, and licensing services for ferry ghats and jetties managed by BIWTA across major rivers in Bangladesh.
• Vessel Licensing and Route Permits System for issuing and managing vessel licenses, smart voyage permissions, and route permits for commercial inland water transport operators.
• Hydrographic Survey Services Hydrographic surveying and data collection services for waterway mapping, channel condition assessment, and navigational safety planning.
• River and Maritime Safety Notices Publication of general, special, and brief river navigation notices and alerts to inform vessel operators about waterway safety conditions.
• Bangladesh-India Protocol Route Navigation Services
• Sand and Halifa (Silt) Extraction Management Management, leasing, and information services for sand and halifa (silt) extraction activities from inland waterways under BIWTA jurisdiction.
• Waterway Tariff and Route Permit Fees Published tariff schedules, passenger fares, tolls, and route permit fees for inland waterway transport services across multiple Bangladesh zones.
• DEPTC Training Programs Training calendar and capacity-building programs for inland water transport professionals operated through the Department of Engineering and Personnel Training Center (DEPTC) at Narayanganj and Barisal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Operating 105+ waterway routes across Dhaka and surrounding zones
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Government of BangladeshcoreOthersBIWTA functions as a statutory organization and Development Agency on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh. Receives government grants and operates under the Ministry of Shipping for inland water sector development.
• India (Bangladesh-India Inland Waterway Protocol)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral protocol for inland waterway connectivity between Bangladesh and India, enabling cross-border waterway transport through designated routes and protocols.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chittagong Port Authority: Bangladesh's principal seaport authority, operating under the Ministry of Shipping. While focused on maritime (sea) rather than inland water transport, it shares BIWTA's parent ministry, governance structure, and statutory development-agency role.
• Payra Port Authority: Third major port authority in Bangladesh, operating under the same Ministry of Shipping framework as BIWTA. Comparable governance and statutory mandate, focused on seaport operations.
• Mongla Port Authority: Second-largest seaport authority in Bangladesh, also under the Ministry of Shipping. Comparable statutory structure and government-agency operating model, though focused on ocean-going cargo rather than inland ferry/passenger services.
• Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore: Statutory port and maritime authority for Singapore, providing regulatory oversight, port operations, and navigation services. Comparable statutory authority model and digital-port innovation track record relevant to BIWTA's e-government modernization efforts.

Others

• Bangladesh Shipping Corporation: State-owned national shipping line of Bangladesh, also under the Ministry of Shipping. Operates ocean-going vessels rather than inland waterway infrastructure, but shares the same parent ministry and government-owned enterprise governance model.
• China Waterborne Transport Research Institute: State-affiliated research body under China's Ministry of Transport focused on inland waterway transport policy, hydrography, and navigation safety. Comparable in its statutory role and technical specialization around inland waterway governance.

Direct peers

• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI): Statutory authority under India's Ministry of Shipping with jurisdiction over national inland waterways, ferry terminal operations, navigation safety, and hydrographic surveys. IWAI is the most direct functional equivalent of BIWTA in a neighboring country, operating under a near-identical mandate.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Civil Works): Manages navigable inland waterways in the United States including dredging, hydrographic surveying, lock and dam operations, and navigation safety. Closest international analogue to BIWTA's regulatory and infrastructure-management role at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/biwta1958
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bangladesh-inland-water-transport-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority