Chilmari-Roumari ferry services suspended since Dec 23; passengers face severe hardships

The closure of ferry services on the Chilmari-Roumari route since December 23 due to a navigability crisis on the Brahmaputra river in Kurigram has caused significant hardships for passengers.

Travellers are now compelled to rely on boats, paying nearly three times the usual fare.

Prafulla Chauhan, manager (Commerce) of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Chilmari River Port, confirmed suspension of the services, citing dredging activities and the navigability crisis as the reasons.

"Ferry services will resume once clearance is provided by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). However, I cannot confirm when operations will restart," he told The Daily Star.

Md Kamruzzaman, deputy assistant engineer of BIWTA, explained that a survey is underway to assess the extent of the navigability problem. "There is a six-kilometer stretch of the river, from Baldamara to Roumari ghat, where a char has emerged in the channel near Saheber Alga," he said.

Kamruzzaman added that the survey is expected to be completed soon, and the channel will be activated through dredging.

For passengers like businessman Amzad Hossain, 60, the suspension has been a significant inconvenience. "I travel this route regularly. Now, I have to pay three times the usual fare for a risky boat ride," he lamented, demanding the ferry service be resumed as quickly as possible.

Truck driver Delowar Hossain, who came to Chilmari River Port with a truckload of stones for delivery to Rajibpur, found himself stranded. "I had no idea the ferry service was closed. Now I'm stuck, not knowing when I can cross the river," he said.

Meanwhile, boatmen like Saiful Islam have seen a sharp increase in passengers. "There's no issue with boating itself, but the cost of diesel is high. That's why we charge slightly more," Saiful said.

A boat journey on the Chilmari-Roumari route takes about two and a half hours, significantly longer than by ferry.