United News of Bangladesh

Ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes resumed this morning after a lengthy suspension caused by dense fog that disrupted operations for 10-11 hours. Nasir Chowdhury, Deputy General Manager of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), confirmed that operations resumed at 10:30 am on the Paturia-Daulatdia route and at 11:00 am on the Aricha-Kazirhat route. Passenger buses, private cars, and microbuses will be prioritized for crossing, followed by goods-laden trucks, Chowdhury added. The disruption began on Saturday night when thick fog blanketed the waterways, obscuring visibility and forcing authorities to suspend ferry services to prevent accidents. Three ferries—Khan Jahan Ali, Birshreshtha Jahangir, and Baigar—were stranded mid-river, while more than 300 vehicles, predominantly cargo trucks, were left waiting at the Paturia, Daulatdia, Aricha, and Kazirhat terminals. Read: Ferry services on Aricha-Kazirhat & Paturia-Daulatdia routes resume after disruption The situation deteriorated after sunset, with the fog becoming denser along the Aricha-Kazirhat route. By 11:30 pm, visibility had dropped to near zero, rendering navigation lights ineffective and making the waterway perilous. Among the stranded ferries, the Khan Jahan Ali Ro-Ro ferry was stuck mid-river with passengers and vehicles onboard. Three other ferries—Chitra, Krishani, and Shah Ali—were immobilized at the Aricha terminal, while the Dhanshiri ferry was stuck at the Kazirhat terminal. By 1:00 am, authorities suspended ferry operations on the Paturia-Daulatdia route as well. Two ferries, Birshreshtha Jahangir and Baigar, were left stranded mid-river, adding to the growing backlog of eight ferries halted at the terminals. The resumption of services brought relief to hundreds of stranded passengers and vehicle operators, as the BIWTC worked to clear the backlog and ensure smooth crossings for priority vehicles. Read more: Ferry services resume on Aricha, Paturia routes after 3 hours  

Commuters heaved a sigh of relief Friday morning, with the authorities resuming ferry services on the busy Paturia-Daulatdia route after a four-hour suspension due to dense fog. The ferry services on the route were halted around 2.30 am owing to poor visibility due to dense fog but resumed around 7am, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) officials. Due to the suspension, two ferries got stranded in the middle of the Padma River, said Abdus Salam, Aricha sector manager of BIWTC. Also read: Fog forces Shimulia port authorities to suspend ferry services "The ferries returned safely to the terminal after the fog cleared. And 13 ferries waiting at the terminal also started operating," he said. Meanwhile, due to the disruption of the ferry services, the Paturia terminal witnessed a long tailback of vehicles. At least 200 night coaches, 150 private cars, and 400 goods laden trucks and other vehicles had to wait for crossing the river. Also read: Dense fog disrupts Paturia-Daulatdia ferry services

Commuters heaved a sigh of relief late on Wednesday morning, with the authorities resuming ferry services on the busy Paturia-Daulatdia route after an eight-hour suspension due to dense fog. Bangladesh Inland Water Transportation Corporation’s (BIWTC) Aricha terminal manager Mahiudddin Rasel said the ferry services were halted around 1.30am owing to poor visibility due to dense fog. The ferry services resumed around 9.30am, officials told UNB. Passenger vehicles were also allowed to cross the Padma river, with the resumption of the ferry services. Also read: Ferry movement suspended on Shimulia-Banglabazar route Due to the fog-induced suspension, at least four ferries -- Barkot, Jahangir, Enayetpury and Rajanigandha -- got stranded in the middle of the Padma river. Besides, some 12 ferries were cancelled on both sides of the river, giving early morning commuters waiting to cross the Padma river a harrowing time. Also read: Ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route resume after 48 days Hundreds of passenger vehicles also got stuck due to the suspension of the inland water transport services on the key route.

Ferry services have resumed on the Paturia-Daulatdia route after remaining suspended for nearly five hours due to poor visibility, officials said on Tuesday.

Two separate bouts of dense fog obstructed ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route for about 9 hours from Sunday night through early Monday. Three ferries loaded with passengers and vehicles compelled to stay put in the middle of the river as dense fog blanketed the river route, causing immense suffering to the passengers.

Ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route resumed on early Friday after nine hours. The services were suspended as dense fog blanketed the river route.

Poor visibility caused by thick fog has disrupted ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route on Friday morning.

Police have further strengthened their monitoring by setting up check-posts on different highways to strictly restrict the movement of people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route remained halted from Thursday night due to dense fog.

Rajbari, Oct 25 (UNB) – Ferry services on the key Paturia-Daulatdia route remained disrupted on Friday after strong current and erosion forced closure of several berthing points at Daulatdia terminal.