Homegoers forcibly boarding ferries with ambulances at Shimulia
Hundreds of desperate holidaymakers were seen forcibly boarding ferries at Shimulia ghat, along with ambulances and vehicles carrying dead bodies.
Three ferries left Shimulia ghat for crossing Padma till 12:00pm today.
When the ferries anchored at the terminals to take ambulances and dead body carrying vehicles, hundreds of people forcibly boarded the ferries, said Lauhajang Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Humayun Kabir.
It is not possible for the authorities to intercept this huge crowd, he said.
The authorities were supposed to allow only ambulances and vehicles carrying patients and the dead, but people -- on their way to their village homes -- who reached the terminal via whatever vehicle they could avail, boarded the ferry ignoring all restrictions.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members were seen discharging their duties one km off the Shimulia ghat, but passengers were rushing through various routes.
Police put barricade on Dhaka-Mawa highway and were seen refusing vehicles trying to reach the ghat.
Hundreds of passengers were seen waiting at the ghat at 1:00pm today.
Md Hilal Uddin, inspector of Mawa Traffic Police, said goods-laden vehicles were allowed to cross the river till 6:30am today.
One of the ferries with ambulances and dead body carrying vehicles left Shimulia ghat around 7:15am.
Hundreds of goods-laden vehicles are now waiting at Shimulia to cross the river, he added.
Safayat Ahmed, manager (commerce) of BIWTC Shimulia ghat, said the ferry operation continued as per the decision immediately taken by local administration and police amid huge crowds at the terminal. People cannot be barred from coming to the terminal, he added.
If the ferries are not operated, there would be even bigger crowds at the terminal, he said.
Meanwhile, two ferries anchored at Shimulia ghat from Banglabazar in Madaripur in an hour till 2:00pm.
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