Staff Reporter :
A huge number of people on Saturday crossed the river Padma through the Kathalbari-Shimulia and Paturia-Daulatdia water route on their way to Dhaka.
The passengers overcrowded ferries and trawlers did not follow social distancing during the coronavirus situation.
The government, since March 25 imposed ban on plying of public transports by-routes, waterways and railways for an indefinite period.
Since Friday morning, the Dhaka-bound passengers were seen to gather at the Kathalbari and Daulatdia ferry ghat to cross the river. However, on Saturday morning it have been observed the passengers overflowing crowds at these two ghats.
Some of the passengers said that they were coming back as government was going to open the shopping malls in the capital from Sunday(today).
With all communication systems shut, the workers are boarding goods-laden trucks, vans, and light vehicles and are even walking in large numbers and gathering at the ferry ghats to return to the capital city.
Many people were also seen to come back with family members to join them offices in Dhaka.
They are moving in large numbers, posing a serious threat to the spread of Covid-19, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation sources.
Mawa Ferry ghat in charge Sirajul Kabir said that, in the morning three ferries with overcrowding passengers came at Shimulia along with emergency services’ vehicles.
Dhaka-bound passengers were also seen to come to Shimulia by trawlers also.
More than 500 people were in the two ferries, most of them garment and shopping mall workers heading towards Dhaka, he added.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Shimulia terminal deputy general manager Md Shafiqul Islam said that there was not much traffic, however, passengers were in a rush.
He added that most of the passengers came on trawlers and the trawlers anchored on the shoals of the river where the passenger got down.
