Manikganj Correspondent

Ferry service on Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat route resumed after remaining suspended for more than two hours since early Monday due to poor visibility caused by thick fog.

As thick fog started appearing on the river basin of these two routes from midnight and it turned heavier with time the authorities decided to suspend all ferry services, according to Aricha office of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

Ferry service remained suspended from 6am till 8:30 am on Rajbari-Daulatdia and Manikganj-Paturia routes, while it remained suspended on Aricha-Kazirhat route from 5 am till 8:30 am.

Apart from ferries the authority also suspended the movement of all types of water transports to avoid accidents.

Total 16 large and small ferries remained anchored at Daulatdia, Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat terminals and of them two were forced to anchor in mid river.

Ro-ro ferry Shah Makhdum and Utility Madhabilata that move on Daulatdia-Paturia route remained stranded with at least 30 vehicles and 200 passengers in mid river due to fog, causing an immense trouble to the stranded passengers at terminals and in mid river amid the cold.

Najrul Islam, a private office worker, said he started on motorcycle for Rajbari from Savar early morning but had to wait for more than two hours amid cold at the terminal.

“The ferry services were disrupted as the risk of accidents amid thick fog became apparent yesterday morning.

Two ferries leaving for terminals of Daulatdia-Paturia waterway lost direction after reaching the mid river in the heavy fog. Both ferries were asked to anchor immediately,” said Shah Md. Khaled Nawaz, deputy general manager (Commercial) of BIWTC at Aricha point.

However, all ferry services resumed after 8:30 am as the fog got cleared, he said.