Heavy rain, strong winds and rough weather disrupted river communication in several parts of the country on Tuesday, forcing authorities to suspend launch and ferry movement on major river routes, including the Paturia-Daulatdia, Aricha-Kazirhat and Sadarghat.
The suspension created suffering for passengers and transport workers as hundreds of vehicles remained stranded at different ghats amid the Eid rush.
Ferry movement suspended on Paturia-Daulatdia, Aricha-Kazirhat routes
Authorities temporarily halted ferry and all other water vessel movement on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat river routes from around 11:30am on Tuesday due to stormy weather, heavy rain and strong winds.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Aricha regional office Assistant General Manager (Commerce) Md Abdus Salam confirmed the matter to the media.
He said authorities suspended vessel movement to avoid possible accidents and ensure the safety of passengers and vehicles amid adverse weather conditions.
According to ghat authorities, the sky suddenly turned cloudy around 11:20am, followed by heavy rain and strong winds in the Paturia and Aricha areas, prompting the decision.
The suspension caused concern among passengers and transport workers waiting at the ghats. Many expressed hope that ferry services would resume quickly.
However, weather conditions improved slightly later in the day. As a result, ferry movement on the Paturia-Daulatdia route resumed from 12pm, nearly 40 minutes after the suspension.
Md Abdus Salam said ferry and other water transport services on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes would continue normally once the weather becomes fully favourable.
Launch services suspended at Sadarghat
Meanwhile, all types of launch movement from the capital’s Sadarghat Launch Terminal also remained suspended due to heavy rainfall and rough weather across the country.
The Ministry of Shipping confirmed the suspension through a text message issued on Tuesday.
Although ferry movement on the Paturia-Daulatdia route later resumed, launch services at Sadarghat and several other routes remained suspended until the weather situation improves.
