Ferry services on the Paturia–Daulatdia and Aricha–Kazirhat river routes resumed on Saturday morning after nearly 15 hours of suspension due to dense fog.
According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) authorities, ferry operations on the Paturia–Daulatdia route were halted at 7:15pm on Friday to prevent accidents caused by poor visibility.
Services resumed around 10am on Saturday as visibility improved.
During the suspension, three ferries , Shah Makhdum, Enayetpuri, and Bhasha Shaheed Barkat, remained stranded mid-river with passengers and vehicles on board, creating severe hardship for commuters and transport workers.
Ferry operations on the Aricha–Kazirhat route were also suspended from 8pm Friday, leaving over 200 vehicles waiting at the terminals.
The halt caused hundreds of vehicles, including buses, night coaches, private cars, microbuses, and trucks, to pile up at four ferry terminals. At Paturia Ghat, queues stretched three to four kilometres along the highway.
Abdus Salam, deputy general Manager of BIWTC at Aricha, said, “Considering passenger inconvenience, buses, private cars, and microbuses are being given priority, while goods-laden trucks will be ferried gradually.”
The prolonged suspension disrupted travel on both routes, but authorities have now resumed operations and are working to clear the backlog of stranded vehicles.
