Fog cuts off ferry services on Padma for eight hours

vPassengers stuck in the midst of the river suffer immensely

FE Team | Published: December 11, 2023 00:48:07

GOALUNDO, Dec 10 (Agencies): Dense fog halted plying of ferries for eight and a half hours on the Daulatdia-Paturia route of the Padma River from Saturday midnight.
Services resumed around 9:30 am on Sunday after the fog cleared, according to Shah Md Khaled Newaz, deputy manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation at Aricha point.
In a bid to avert any accidents, ferry operations were suspended at 1am, leaving four vessels stranded in the middle of the river, he said.
"There were about 50 vehicles near the dock at the time. This led to congestion, causing inconvenience for drivers and passengers."
Earlier, ferry services between Rajbari's Daulatdia and Manikganj's Paturia have been suspended due to dense fog since midnight, causing immense suffering of commuters.
Nur Ahmed, assistant manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Daulatdia point, confirmed the development, saying that they were forced to suspend the ferry services to avert accidents.
According to the local BIWTC office, the fog started getting thicker on Saturday night and impacted visibility. The ferry services were suspended at 1 am to avert accidents.
Four ferries carrying more than hundred vehicles remained stranded in the middle of the Padma River since the suspension of the ferry services, they said.
Several hundred Dhaka-bound buses and goods-carrying vehicles waiting to cross the river remained stuck at Daulatdia Ghat.
Md Moniruzzaman, caretaker of a bus service at Daulatdia Ghat, told the news agency correspondent that passengers, especially children and the elderly, stuck in the vehicles waiting to cross the river are the worst sufferers.
He said there is no chance to operate the ferry until the visibility improves.
Ghat laborer Md Nuruzzaman Miah said some engine-run trawlers carrying motorbikes crossed the river risking their lives amid the thick fog.
He suggested increasing vigilance by the authorities concerned so that no one can cross the Padma and Jamuna rivers during thick fog, risking lives.