Severe traffic congestion has developed on both sides of the Padma river at Mawa-Kewrakandi and Paturia-Doulatdia points, as ferry services remained suspended for several hours because of dense fog.The services were inoperative from around 3:30am to 10am on Friday on Mawa-Kewrakandi and from 6am to 9am on the Paturia-Doulatdia routes.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Manager at Mawa Sirajul Haq told journalists that fog disrupted ferry movement for seven and a half hours.
Long trails of stranded vehicles had formed on both the sides of the river in the absence of launches to carry them across, he said.
Sirajul said six ferries with more than a thousand passengers were stuck on underwater shoals as the navigation course had become invisible.
Five of the ferries – Shah Makhdum, Kanakchapa, Taklu, Ranikhet and Raniganj – were compelled to anchor off the shore, leaving passengers suffering in the severe cold, he said.
The BIWTC official said the congestion worsened as ferry services had to be stopped again for well over an hour from around 2:15 pm because of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s public meeting at Louhajang in Munshiganj.
BIWTC Aricha Pier’s Manager Mohiuddin Russell said five ferries were stuck on underground shoals on Paturia-Doulatdia route amid dense fog, triggering severe traffic congestions on both sides.
Meanwhile, several launches were stuck at different places of the Meghna river due to fog.
Chandpur river port Officer Mobarak Hossain said MV Moyur-2, carrying over 500 passengers, was stuck on a shoal in Munshiganj.-bdnews24.com
