Trade thru' river hampered

Movement of wagon ferries and cargo boats has been facing serious difficulties due to lack of navigability in the Padma river at Faridpur ferry terminal, widely known as C&B Ghat, in Sadar upazila. 

For the last few years, the situation continued from November till March during the dry season, said traders at the terminal.

More than 50 kinds of goods, including cement, coal, stone, sand, paddy, jute, fertiliser and food grains, pass through the ferry terminal every day.

The carrying cost of the goods has increased as the wagon ferries and cargo boats have to anchor five kilometres away from the terminal in Sadipur and Godhadordangi areas.

The ferries and cargo boats need a depth of at least eight feet of water to carry goods but the water level is only four feet, so goods are being carried by small boats from the anchoring place, said the traders.

Nizam Fakir, a cement and sand trader at the ferry terminal, said they have to count additional transportation cost for carrying cement and sand.

“We have to pay additional Tk 7 per bag of cement and Tk 5 for one cubic foot of sand,” he said.

Shariful Islam, a wheat trader at the terminal, said, “Removal of silt through regular dredging is a must to keep the river routes navigable round the year. We request the government to solve the problem.”

Jafar Sheikh, chief porter of Faridpur ferry ghat, said some 5,000 to 6,000 porters of the ghat have been passing their days amid difficulty as the navigability of the river is decreasing day by day.

Wagon ferries and cargo boats do not come to the ferry ghat from November to March as the water level falls, he said.

Asfakur Rahman, deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, said they have informed the authorities concerned to take steps to remove silt through dredging.