Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has suspended ferry services on the Shimulia-Banglabazar route due to strong currents in the Padma River, while ferry service on the Paturia-Daulatdia route has been hampered due to shortage of ferries and strong current in the Padma river.
It is learned that the ferry services on the Banglabazar-Shimulia route were suspended from Thursday morning due to the strong water flow in the River Padma. As a result hundreds of different types of vehicles have been stranded in terminal areas.
BIWTA Deputy Director Obaidul Karim confirmed the matter and said that ferries used to cruise between the 19th and 20th pillars of the Padma Bridge, however, due to strong currents, the ferry services were
disrupted from Wednesday night (May 25) when the direction buoy installed two kilometers upstream of the bridge overflowed. To avoid the accident, the ghat authorities stopped the ferry services on this route from 10 am on Thursday, he said.
On the other hand, over 200 vehicles, including goods carrying trucks, remain stranded at Paturia ghat area while passengers, drivers and helpers of the stranded vehicles are suffering for several hours both Manikganj and Rajbari districts sides of the terminal.
Mohiuddin Rasel, Assistant Manager (Commerce) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation’s (BIWTC) Aricha office, said some vehicles remain stranded in the ghat area as 17 ferries out of 20 are currently carrying vehicles and passengers on the Paturia-Daulatdia route.
The rest three ferries – Ro-Ro ferry ‘Shah Paran’ and the K-type ferries-‘Chandra Mollika’ and ‘Madhabilata’— are being repaired at a workshop in Paturia due to engine problems, he said.
Besides, on account of strong currents in the river, ferries take more time than before to cross the river.
To reduce the sufferings of passengers, buses are being given priority on boarding ferry, he said.
The situation will return to normalcy after the three ferries will be added to the fleet this evening after repairing, added the official.
