Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has suspended the launch service on all routes across the country from Dhaka as severe cyclonic storm ‘Mora’ is heading towards the coasts of Bangladesh.

Launch service on all routes in the country remained suspended since 2:00pm today, Joynal Abedin, joint director of BIWTA, told The Daily Star.

The BIWTA, however, asked to take precautionary measures at all the river ports in the country. At present, a total of 295 vessels ply on different river routes across the country, BSS adds.

Chittagong and Cox's Bazar maritime ports have been advised to hoist “great danger signal” number 10 while Mongla and Payra ports to hoist great danger signal number eight, said a special weather bulletin of Met office.

‘Mora’ is likely to intensify further, move in a northerly direction and may cross Chittagong and Cox's Bazar coasts by tomorrow morning, according to the bulletin.