Cyclone Hamoon: Inland water transportation resumes after 22 hours

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has decided to resume movement on all inland waterways after 22 hours of closure ahead of Cyclone Hamoon's landfall.

Launches began plying all domestic routes from 8am.

Apart from this, speedboats, cargo ships also started movement, confirmed Riad Hossain, deputy director of Naval Safety and Traffic Management Department of Barisal River Port.

He said since the danger of Cyclone Hamoon has passed, a decision has been taken to operate all types of marine vehicles on domestic and long-distance routes.

Earlier, the BIWTA authorities announced the suspension of all types of movement on inland waterways from 10am on Tuesday amid fears of the effects of Cyclone Hamoon.

Chattogram port back in operation

Chattogram port resumed regular operations on Wednesday as the danger signal has been brought down as effects of the Cyclone Hamoon have abated.

On Wednesday morning, 13 ships from the deep sea were brought to the jetty. The rest of the ships will also be brought back in the afternoon, said Chittagong Port Authority Secretary Md Omar Farooq.

Though unloading of products was halted for a day, delivery process was ongoing, he added.

Earlier, the Meteorological Department declared warning signal number 7 for the Chattogram port and sent 22 ships from the jetty to the deep sea on Tuesday afternoon.

Apart from this, 66 bulk carriers (open cargo ships) at outer anchorage were also sent into the deep sea. Lighter ships stationed on the shores of the Bay of Bengal were sent to the estuary of the Karnaphuli River.

AKM Shamsuzzaman Russel, chairman of the Bangladesh Ship Handling and Berth Operators Association told TBS, the discharge of goods from the mother vessel to the lighter vessel was stopped immediately after the declaration of warning signal 7 on Tuesday morning.

After one day, from Wednesday morning, the unloading of goods has started in full swing at the port.