Dense fog disrupts ferry, launch services

Ferry service on Chandpur-Shariatpur route remained suspended for 14 hours due to dense fog in river Meghna, causing immense sufferings to passengers.
Md Zahir Uddin Ahmed, assistant manager (marketing) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in Chandpur, said ferry movement on the route was suspended till 10:00am yesterday from 8:00pm Wednesday.
Besides, launch and steamer services were also disrupted in Chandpur because of heavy fog in river Meghna.
Md Wahidur Rahman, BIWTA traffic inspector at Chandpur, said launch Coco-3 that left southern region was scheduled to reach Chandpur terminal at 1:30pm Wednesday but it reached there at 9:00am yesterday.
Another launch New Sun-4, which left the same region, reached Chandpur around 10:30am yesterday while it was scheduled to arrive at 1:00am. Yet another launch Zahid-4 which left Dhaka for southern parts of the country was scheduled to reach Chandpur at 11:30pm Wednesday but it arrived at about 9:45am yesterday.
Zahir Uddin Ahmed of BIWTA also said that two steamers got stuck up in Harina area of Chandpur and a good number launches reached Chandpur terminal well behind schedule.