More than a hundred passengers were rescued after a launch became stranded on a sandbar in the Padma River amid dense fog near Daulatdia Ghat in Rajbari’s Goalanda upazila on Friday night.
The incident occurred when the launch ML Mizanur departed from Daulatdia Launch Ghat for Paturia in Manikganj at around 7:45pm with over 100 passengers on board.
While navigating through thick fog, the vessel lost direction and ran aground on a river char in Kolbagan area, opposite Daulatdia Ferry Ghat No. 7.
Passengers notified the national emergency service 999 at around 8:15pm. Acting swiftly on the call, Daulatdia Ghat River Police launched a rescue operation led by Sub-Inspector Mehdi Hasan Apurbo and Assistant Sub-Inspector Ashok Dutta, with support from local residents.
Despite poor visibility, the rescue team used artificial lighting to locate the stranded vessel and reached it at around 11:55pm.
All passengers were safely evacuated by trawler and later dropped off at the Daulatdia bus stand area. No injuries or damage were reported.
Following the incident, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) temporarily suspended ferry and all other vessel movements on the Daulatdia–Paturia route due to reduced visibility caused by dense fog.
Inspector Trinath Saha, in charge of the Daulatdia River Police Outpost, said immediate action was taken after receiving the emergency call, ensuring the safe rescue of all passengers.
He added that police have issued warnings through public announcements and strengthened safety measures in the ferry terminal area to prevent further incidents.
