Tailbacks at Daulatdia, Paturia as pontoons sink

Several thousand vehicles, including passengers, got stranded on both sides of Paturia and Daulatdia terminals yesterday as ferry services were delayed due to sinking of two pontoons out of three at Daulatdia ghat and increasing number of buses for a programme at Atrashi in Faridpur.
A snarl-up of vehicles stretching about five kilometres was seen on the road leading to Paturia around 4:00pm while the queue was at least four kilometres at Daulatdia.
Ashraf Ullah Khan, an official of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, told reporters that two pontoons out of three of Daulatdia Ghat sank due to rise of water.
The problem worsened as thousands of devout Muslims programme were going to Atrashi to join a fateha programme, he added.
The authorities have already shifted pontoon No. 3 to a safer place and are trying to shift the other pontoons.The movement of ferry would be normal within one or two hours after shifting the pontoons, he said.