Shimulia-Kathalbari ferry services resume partially after 17hrs

Ferry services on Shimulia-Kathalbari route resumed partially this morning after 17 hours of suspension due to rough weather.

Only four, out of 15, ferries were plying on the route in the Padma river under Lauhajang upazila of Munshiganj as the weather started to be normal in the morning, said Abdul Alim, manager (Commerce) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) in Shimulia Ghat.

The launches and speed boats are also plying the route since morning, said Alim.

Hundreds of passengers suffer immensely in the long queue of vehicles at Shimulia ferry Ghat as ferry services on Shimulia-Kathalbari route resume partially in the morning on August 8, 2019 after 17 hours of suspension due to rough weather. Photo: Star

“We will have to wait for the river to calm down for resuming the full-fledged ferry services,” the official told our Munshiganj correspondent.

The BIWTC suspended the ferry servicers operation on the route from Tuesday midnight due to strong surge and current in the Padma river and the authorities resumed the services around 6:00am yesterday.

Around 1:15pm, the ferry movement was again suspended completely due to bad weather, resulting in long tailbacks on both the sides of the river.

Hundreds of passengers suffered immensely as over 400 vehicles including good-laden trucks remained stuck at Shimulia ghat, the correspondent said.