A heavy rush of homebound passengers built up at the capital’s Sadarghat Launch Terminal ahead of Eid-ul-Adha on Tuesday, as services were briefly suspended due to adverse weather before resuming later in the afternoon.
Ferry and launch services on the Paturia–Daulatdia and Aricha–Kazirhat river routes were also temporarily suspended due to bad weather. Ferry operations on those routes later resumed after conditions improved slightly.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had temporarily suspended all launch and water vessel movement from Sadarghat due to rough weather conditions, strong winds and rising riverine risk.
The announcement came at around 12:10pm on Tuesday from the BIWTA control room at Sadarghat. Authorities said the decision was taken to ensure passenger safety amid deteriorating weather conditions and increased river hazards.
From early morning, large crowds of passengers gathered at Sadarghat to travel to southern districts for Eid celebrations. Many faced difficulties after arriving at the terminal and learning about the suspension. Some waited at the terminal, while others looked for alternative transport.
Several passengers said they had planned their journeys in advance to celebrate Eid with their families. However, the sudden suspension of launch services caused inconvenience and suffering.
BIWTA sources said special monitoring, safety measures and passenger service activities had been strengthened at river ports and terminals to ensure smooth Eid travel. They added that future operations would depend on weather conditions.
Later at around 1:30pm, BIWTA withdrew the temporary suspension and announced the resumption of launch services from Sadarghat. Gradually, vessels began operating on different routes again.
