Shimulia Ferry Ghat sees mad rush ahead of polls

Shimulia Ferry Ghat in Munshiganj saw heavy pressure of vehicles and passengers yesterday, as a large number of people were heading towards their villages ahead of tomorrow's general election.

People mostly living in Dhaka were on their way home in south and south-western regions, said officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC).

People from the region generally use Shimulia-Kathalbari river route to go to their village homes, he said.

Due to the pressure, about 500 vehicles -- including buses, cars, ambulances, microbuses and goods-laden trucks -- were waiting to be transported to the other side of the river Padma.

In a bid to cast their votes, people went out of their residences braving cold weather.

The pressure of passengers and transports on launches and ferries on the river route intensified, as job holders are enjoying a three-day government holiday.

A total of 87 launches, more than 250 boats were busy ferrying the passengers, said BIWTC sources.

Mehedi Hasan, terminal assistant at BIWTC's Shimulia Ferry Ghat, said 26 ferries including two Ro-Ro ferries -- Bir Shrestha Jahangir and Enayetpuri; four K-type ferries -- Camellia, Kakoili, Raipura and Kishori-3; and seven drum ferries were engaged in carrying vehicles.

Many launches were seen taking passengers far beyond their capacities, Ghat sources said.

Solaiman Hossain, a transport inspector of BIWTA River Safety and Traffic Management Department, said legal action will be taken against authorities of the vessels carrying excess passengers.

He said the rush of passengers as well as vehicles started increasing since yesterday.