Poor visibility caused by dense fog disrupted ferry movements for 12 hours on Aricha-Kazirhat and 5 hours on Paturia- Daulatdia routes in the early hours of Monday, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Paturia Ghat officials said.
"Dense fog blanketed the Aricha-Kazirhat river routes on the Jamuna, forcing us to suspend the ferry movements at 9.30 pm on Sunday. The services resumed 12.00 hours later at 9.30 am on Monday," BIWTC's Deputy General Manager Shah Mohammad Khaled Newaz said.
The ferry movement was suspended in the Paturia-Daulatdia route on the Padma from 5am to 10am, the DGM added.
The officials said five ferries were stranded at the Paturia Ghat, seven at Daulatdia Ghat and one in the midstream of the Padma river in the Paturia-Daulatdia route with vehicles and passengers during the period, while three ferries were anchored at the Aricha ghat, one in the middle of the Jamuna on Aricha-Kazirhat route and one ferry at Kazirhat, the sources added.
Officials said the fog simultaneously forced the suspension of movement of other vessels like engine-run country boats and launched both the river routes.
They said the visibility largely returned around 10am on the Paturia-Daulatdia route and 9.30am on the Aricha-Kazirhat route.
BIWTC DGM Newaz said the ferry movement is normal at the Paturia-Daulatdia route as there was no rush of vehicles. But, a lot of cars including goods-laden trucks were waiting in the queue at Kazirhat.
