Aricha-Kazirhat, Paturia-Daulatdia ferry services resume

Ferry operations on the Aricha-Kazirhat and Paturia-Daulatdia routes in Manikganj resumed this morning after being suspended for seven and ten hours respectively due to dense fog.

Nasir Chowdhury, deputy general manager of Aricha Sector of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said the ferry services on both the routes resumed around 10:00am.

According to BIWTC officials, ferry operations on the Aricha-Kazirhat route were halted at 11:50pm last night, while on the Paturia-Daulatdia route at 3:00am today.

"Due to poor visibility caused by dense fog, ferry services were suspended to avoid accidents," Nasir said.

The suspension caused significant disruptions for passengers and vehicle operators.

On the Aricha-Kazirhat route, two ferries — Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman and Kishani — have been anchored in the middle of the Jamuna River with passengers and vehicles onboard, he added.

Four other ferries — Khan Jahan Ali, Shah Ali, Chitra, and Dhansiri — are docked at the Aricha terminal.

Similarly, on the Paturia-Daulatdia route, two Ro-Ro ferries —Shah Paran and Enayetpuri — are anchored midstream in the Padma River.

Additionally, four ferries—Bonolota, Bir Shrestha Matiur Rahman, Keramat Ali, and Gouri—are moored at the Paturia terminal, while six others, including Baigar, Bir Shrestha Jahangir, Cumilla, Bhasha Shahid Barkat, Hasnahena, and Dr Golam Mawla, are secured at Daulatdia.

Dense fog has been forming over the Padma and Jamuna river basins in the evenings for the past three days, intensifying overnight and severely reducing visibility.

This has made ferry navigation highly risky, prompting authorities to suspend services to avoid potential accidents.

Ferry operations will resume once the fog clears, Nasir said.