Dense fog disrupts flight operations, ferry services

Local and international flights began landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) after a five-hour delay caused by dense fog on Monday.

HSIA Executive Director Group Captain Muhammed Kamrul Islam told the FE the arrival of at least 7 flights and the departure of 9 others were delayed on early morning due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog.

Apart from this, six flights were diverted to airports in Sylhet and Kolkata between 3.30 am and 4.50 am.

He said the delayed flights started returning to the airport after 10:30 am as weather condition improved.

UNB report from Rajbari adds: Ferry services on Aricha-Kazirhat and Paturia-Daulatdia river routes resumed on Monday morning following suspension caused by the dense fog since midnight.

According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Aricha office, ferry services on the both routes resumed at 9:20am.

Mohammad Salah Uddin, assistant general manager (Commerce) at the BIWTC Daulatdia office, said that ferry services became hazardous due to thick fog starting Sunday evening. To ensure safety and prevent accidents, ferry operations on this route were suspended at 12:10 am.

"Services resumed around 9 am on Monday, with seven ferries anchored at the Daulatdia terminal," he added.

Abdus Salam, assistant general manager at the BIWTC Aricha office, said ferry services on the Aricha-Kazirhat route had been disrupted for four consecutive days due to fog.

In addition to disruptions on the Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes, ferry services on other local routes, including Rajbari-Dhawapara and Pabna-Nazirganj, have also been affected by the ongoing fog, he added.

Earlier, the authorities suspended the ferry services, forcing more than 500 vehicles stranded on both sides of the two ferry routes, causing immense suffering to passengers.

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