Thousands of home-bound commuters have thronged the Paturia ferry terminal since the early hours of Sunday in their desperate bid to cross the Padma river ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr to be celebrated across Bangladesh tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
Hundreds of vehicles, mostly buses, microbuses and private cars, with people on board also remain stranded at the ferry ghat, triggering a 3km tailback in the area.
An official said these people and vehicles have been waiting to board ferries on the Paturia-Daulatdia route, with Eid holidays beginning on Sunday. "At least 200 buses are stranded at the terminal," he said.
While the highway police are controlling vehicular movement in the gridlocked ferry terminal area, the river police are ensuring that the ferries are not taking in passengers beyond their capacities.
Md Khalid Newaz, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said they are literally struggling to control the mad rush of people at the Paturia terminal.
Currently, 21 ferries are operating on the Paturia-Daulatdia route to deal with the huge pressure of vehicles and passengers.
