In a dire state

Ferry  services across the Padma continue to be disrupted due to strong currents and poor navigability, affecting both travellers and businesses.

There are long tailbacks at ferry terminals on the two major routes -- Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Kathalbari.

The situation has been worsening for the last two weeks.

At Paturia ferry terminal in Manikganj, a truck driver yesterday said he was stranded there for nearly two days.

“The long delays are likely to affect shipping costs of goods,” said Amjad Hossain, who reached Paturia around 8:00pm on Wednesday and was able to board a ferry with a cargo of iron rods yesterday evening.

The tailback mostly of trucks reached nearly five kilometres yesterday afternoon.

The picture was similar on the other side of the Padma at Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) officials said over 700 mostly large vehicles were waiting to cross the river.

“I have been waiting for three hours in the scorching sun. It is painful,” Afsar Hossain, passenger of a Magura-bound bus, told this correspondent yesterday morning.

Mohiuddin Rasel, assistant manager (commerce) of BIWTC in Paturia, said ferries were taking twice the time needed to cross the river. It reduced the number of trips across the river.

Meanwhile, the number of vehicles at Paturia-Daulatdia further increased as many motorists, who would have been using the Shimulia-Kathalbari route at other times, are now using the Paturia-Daulatdia route, hoping to cross the river faster.

Shafiqul Islam, manager (commerce) of BIWTC at Daulatdia Ghat, said two of the six jetties at the Daulatdia terminal were inaccessible as the authorities have been dredging the river to improve navigability.

Ferries anchored at Shimulia terminal in Munshiganj as their operations on Shimulia-Kathalbari route remain suspended. Photo: star

It has also slowed down the loading and unloading processes. However, he said, passenger buses were prioritised while boarding ferries.

“That is why some of the trucks are having to wait longer,” he said.

Enamul Haque, executive engineer of a floating workshop at Paturia terminal, said some old ferries frequently got stuck while going upstream and needed tugging.

At present, 16 of 18 ferries are operating on the route. Two ferries are being repaired, he added.

SHIMULIA-KATHALBARI

Over a hundred vehicles, mostly goods-laden trucks, got stranded at Shimulia ferry terminal in Munshiganj as ferry operations have been suspended since Thursday evening, reports our correspondent there.

Syed Shah Barkat Ullah, deputy general manager of BIWTC at Shimulia, said navigability was their biggest challenge.

“We will resume the services as soon as navigability is restored through dredging,” he told The Daily Star.