Ferry services on the Chilmari-Roumari route of the Brahmaputra River in Kurigram have been suspended for 132 days due to a navigability crisis, causing immense suffering to locals.

The services were suspended on December 23 last year. The service was inaugurated on September 20, 2023. According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, the suspension was due to a drop in water levels in certain stretches of the river, making ferry movement impossible.

Two ferries were operating on the route, each with a capacity to carry over 300 tonnes, including 600 passengers, 10 goods-laden trucks, and at least 50 light vehicles such as motorcycles.

Chilmari River Port Manager Profulla Chouhan said preparations had been made to resume the ferry service on Saturday after a rise in the Brahmaputra's water level due to rain. However, the level dropped again on Sunday.

He said the river needs a depth of 7-8 feet for ferry movement, but an 800-metre stretch at two points on the 30-kilometre route lacks adequate depth.

A letter has been sent to BIWTA's Dredging Department requesting urgent dredging, he added.

Mujibur Rahman, 55, a passenger from Roumari, said, "We benefited from the opening of the ferry service, but we are facing extreme hardship as it remains suspended."

Samir Pal, executive engineer of the Kurigram BIWTA Dredging Department, said the Brahmaputra is heavily silt-laden, with large amounts of sediment coming from upstream.

"The problem section of the channel will be marked from Tuesday. We will try to normalise ferry service by dredging this section within the next one week," he said.