Traffic congestion today intensified at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari, seemingly ignoring government instruction on operating half of the total number of public transports.

As most of the restrictions on movement were lifted today, public transport operation resumed across the country after 19 days, amid fear of further surge in Covid deaths and infections.

In order to avert the risks of ferries ramming into pillars of the under-construction Padma bridge, the authorities yesterday decided that ferries will not carry heavy vehicles, like buses and trucks, between Shimulia and Banglabazar terminals as long as there is strong current in the river.

Heavy vehicles (passenger and freight) are not being allowed on the Shimulia-Banglabazar ferries until strong current in Padma river subsides.

A total of 1,218 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen has been imported in six consignments from India, by "Oxygen Express", through Benapole land port.

With the Delta variant of Covid spreading across the country, the government decision to allow buses to run at full capacity from tomorrow has baffled health experts.

Roads and Highways Department (RHD) yesterday signed contracts with two companies for installing 28 axle load control centres across the country to prevent overloaded vehicles plying the highways.

Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association has urged the government to withdraw the decision of operating half of public transport on the roads from August 11.

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has decided to operate 38 intercity and 20 commuter and mail trains from August 11 with full capacity.

The authorities will reinstate the previous bus and launch fares from August 11 as the operators would be allowed to carry passengers at full capacity from that day.

Like the past two days, workers of export-oriented factories continued to travel to Dhaka and adjacent industrial areas via Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes.

Garment workers blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur for two hours this morning due to the hassles they were facing on the road amid the ongoing “strict lockdown”.

India and Bangladesh yesterday began regular operation of freight trains through the Haldibari-Chilahati rail route 56 years after it had been suspended following the India-Pakistan war in 1965.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has decided to continue launch services till 6:00am tomorrow.

Bangladesh and India today started regular operation of freight trains through the restored Haldibari-Chilahati rail route, aiming to “strengthen rail connectivity and bilateral trade” between the two countries.

Although public transports were allowed to operate till noon today to facilitate workers returning to workplace amid lockdown, vehicles were seen plying Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways after 12pm.

As public transport was allowed till this noon, workers of export-oriented factories were rushing to their workplaces in Dhaka and adjacent areas, causing massive traffic congestion on Bangabandhu bridge.

The government has decided to allow all public transport to operate till 12pm tomorrow, to facilitate workers and concerned officials of export-oriented factories returning to their workplaces.

The first goods train through the revived Haldibari (West Bengal) - Chilahati (Bangladesh) rail link is set to leave Damdim station of Alipurduar shortly after midnight on August 1, carrying stone chips, in a move aimed at promoting South Asian sub-regional trade. 

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has eased restrictions on the movement of water transport from this evening until 12:00 noon tomorrow, to allow workers of export-oriented factories to come to Dhaka and resume their work.