The chief guest was State Minister for Planning Jonaed Saki, MP. Special guests were Shipping Secretary Zakaria, Secretary of the Statistics and Information Management Division Md Firoz Sarkar, Director General of the Department of Shipping Commodore Md Shafiul Bari, and Director General of BBS Md Shamimul Haque.

State Minister Rajib Ahsan said, 'Bangladesh is a riverine country. The country's economy, commerce and public life are deeply linked with waterways. But we have not yet been able to fully utilize the potential of waterways.' He mentioned that various initiatives have been taken to reduce additional pressure on roads and make waterways effective for trade, goods and passenger transport and tourism.

Explaining the importance of the watercraft census, the State Minister said that through this census, reliable information about the actual number, types, use and ownership of watercraft in the country will be available, which will be helpful in future planning, policy-making and ensuring safe navigation. He also recalled Prime Minister Tareq Rahman's directive to restore the lost heritage of waterways.

State Minister for Planning Jonaed Saki said there is no alternative to reliable data for proper policy and planning. He also said that strict legal action will be taken if any irregularity is found in data collection. Calling waterways a cost-effective and environment-friendly mode of transport, he stressed the government's sincerity in developing waterways and expressed confidence in BBS's professionalism.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Shipping, the Department of Shipping and BBS, along with those involved in the census activities, were present at the event.