Poor Navigability: 15 cargo vessels stuck in 2 rivers

Fifteen loaded cargo vessels have remained stranded in the Padma and the Jamuna for at least four days due to poor navigability.

Officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said the vessels got stuck as they defied orders.

BIWTA Assistant Director Sazzadur Rahman, also in-charge of Baghabari port, said, “We strictly ordered cargo vessels not to take over 6-feet load during the dry season [starts in November and stays until April]. However, most of the vessels carry between 10- and 12-feet loads.”

Around 60-kilometre naval route from Aricha to Baghabari is vulnerable for vessel movement during the dry season, he added.

According to the BIWTA official, two to three dredging machines headed to rescue the stranded vessels and they would start their operations soon.

Each vessel that gets stuck needs between Tk 8,000 and Tk 10,000 to unload and reload its cargo, he said.