Dense fog disrupts launch, ferry services for hours

Vehicles, including passenger buses, wait for ferry at Mawa terminal yesterday morning as nine ferries on Mawa-Kawrakandi route got stranded in the middle point of the Padma for hours due to dense fog from midnight on Saturday.Photo: STAR

Dense fog disrupted the movements of launch, steamer and other water vessels on river routes and ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Mawa-Kawrakandi routes for 10 hours from midnight on Saturday.
Our Barisal correspondent reported that launch and steamer services on river routes in the southern region were hampered for six to seven hours due to dense fog, causing sufferings to the passengers.
The water transports could not reach Barisal river port and depart from there on scheduled times as they got stranded on river routes due to poor visibility caused by dense fog, said Sharif Afzal Hossain, Barisal port officer.
Triple-decker launches MV Parabat-9, MV Sundarbans-8, MV Suravi-8 reached Barisal from Dhaka between 4:00 and 5:00pm, and Kirtankhola-2 at 1:00pm yesterday. The vessels arrived at the port six to 10 hours after their scheduled arrival time, said Saidur Rahman Rintu, vice-president of Barisal Launch Owners' Association.
Dhaka-bound Sundarbans-7, Kalam Khan-1, Parabat-11 from Barisal arrived at Sadarghat Terminal 4-6 hours late, association sources said.
Raihan Manik, a passenger of MV Kalam Khan-1, said MV Parabat-11 hit their vessel near Chandpur early yesterday as river route was shrouded with dense fog and visibility was poor.
Gopal Chandra Majumder, assistant general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation at Barisal station, said Rocket steamer PS Ostrich on Dhaka-Morelganj route left Barisal port at 10:30pm. It was scheduled to depart at 6:30pm.
Ferry services on Barisal-Bhola, Barisal-Kuakata routes remained suspended for 3-4 hours early yesterday as dense fog blanketed the Meghna and Arial Kha Rivers, BIWTC sources said.
Our Manikganj correspondent reports: Ferry service on Paturia-Daulatdia route remained suspended for seven hours yesterday due to dense fog. Six ferries loaded with vehicles and passengers got stranded in the mid-river from 3:00am yesterday.
Bidyut Kumer Saha, manager (commerce) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Aricha ferry sector, said the ferry service resumed at 10:00am yesterday.
Ro Ro ferries Bir Shreshtha Motiur Rahman, Keramat Ali, Shah Poran, Shah Ali, Amanat Shah and K-type ferry Kapoti anchored in the mid-river due to poor visibility, he said.
Ro Ro ferry Enayetpuri and K-type ferry Kumari were stranded at Paturia Ghat while Ro Ro ferry Bhasha Shahid Barkat and K-type ferry Kabori at Daulatdia ferry ghat for four hours.
Around 500 vehicles are waiting in the long queue on both sides of the river, BIWTC official said.
Ferry services on Mawa-Kawrakandi river route came to a halt for about nine hours from midnight on Saturday, according to our Munshiganj correspondent.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, who was travelling on the ferry 'Faridpur' remained stranded as the river craft along with a number of ferries was forced to anchor at the middle point of the Padma.
BIWTC sources said the ferry services on the route were suspended due to poor visibility caused by dense fog. The ferry services on the route resumed at around 10:00am yesterday, sources added.