Home ›› 12 Aug 2021 ›› Nation
Introduction of a ferry service on Sariakandi-Madarganj rout is going to facilitate thousands of people residing in several northern districts on both sides of the mighty river Jamuna decreasing their time and cost of transport.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury is expected to inaugurate the ferry service on Thursday.
Hundreds of people risk their lives every day in crossing the river by wooden boats from Kalitala and Mathurapara fery points in Sariakandi of Bogura to Madarganj and other areas in Jamalpur.
People of both sides of river Jamuna in Bogura, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, and the adjacent districts will be able to take their crops, light engineering materials and other products to the surrounding districts and the capital, in a short time and at low cost after launching the ferry service.
A new pontoon has been set up at Sariakandi terminal, and a sea-truck converted to ferry has reached there. A passenger shed has also been built for facilitating the passengers.
The distance from Madarganj to Sariakandi route by road is 192 kilometres, whereas the same route by the waterway is only 16 kilometres. With the introduction of the ferry service, about 90 kilometres distance will reduce to travel Dhaka en-route Mymenshingh instead of Bangabandhu Bridge. Besides, the ferry service will also decrease pressure on Bangabandhu Bridge.
Initially, BIWTA has introduced a 200- sea truck to ply between Jamthal ferry point in Madarganj and Kalitala ferry point at Sariakandi.
The ferry will run four times with passengers and light vehicles in a day on a 10-kilometre water route during the rainy season and 15 kilometre stretch during the dry season, said Jahedur Rahman Ujjal, a lessee of the two ferry terminals.
The lawmaker for Jamalpur 3 constituency Mirza Azam told The Business Post, “Very soon, we will take steps to uplift ferry service for carrying heavy vehicles after infrastructure development”.
He said the ferry service is being introduced for an economic uplift of the residents of both sides of the river Jamuna.
The ferry service would play a vital role in the safe movement of people and goods in the northern region, he added.
A project with Tk 192 crore to widen the 8-kilometre Madarganj-Jamthal road has also been submitted, he said.
