The authorities were compelled to close ferry movement on Shimulia-Banglabazar ferry route on river Padma since 12:00 noon on Thursday due to rough weather and, as a result, hundreds of people and vehicles became stranded at both the sides and waiting since noon to cross the river.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation’s Shimulia Ghat manager (commerce) Md Faisal confirmed the news and said that the ferry movement would remain closed until improvement of the weather.
He said that the seven ferries that are now in operation on the route are anchored at both the ends of the route and that the ferries, loaded with passengers and vehicles, were waiting to cross the river.
He said that about 150 vehicles became stranded at Shimulia ferry ghat until 1:45pm.
BIWTC official sources said that nearly 500 vehicles got stranded at Banglabazar ghat until 2:00pm.
Until noon, the pressure on the ferry terminal increased as vehicles and passengers crossing the river using the route flouting the Covid restrictions increased than the previous days.
Hundreds of passengers and vehicles were seen on each ferry crossing the River Padma.
Hundreds of Dhaka-bound passengers are coming from Banglabazar Ghat to Shimulia Ghat, while south-westbound passengers are going to Banglabazar via Shimulia. However, the presence of Dhaka-bound passengers is more on the ferries than South Bengal-bound passengers.
Meanwhile, law enforcement check posts have been set up to control the movement of passengers on the ferries. However, the passengers are showing various excuses to the law enforcement agencies to deny the restriction.
Again, passengers heading to Dhaka from Banglabazar to Shimuliaghat are walking for miles to reach their destination.
BIWTC Shimulia Ghat manager (commerce) Md Faisal said that seven ferries were kept open for vehicular crossings outside the emergency restriction but pressure of passengers on both the sides was higher until ferry movement suspension at around noon on Thursday than that of Wednesday.
mj/
