Ferry services resume on Paturia-Daulatdia, Aricha-Kazirhat routes after 15hr suspension due to fog

Ferry services on  Paturia–Daulatdia and Aricha–Kazirhat river routes resumed this morning (27 December) after remaining suspended for nearly 15 hours due to dense fog.

According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) authorities, ferry movement on the Paturia–Daulatdia route was suspended at 7:15 pm yesterday (26 December) to avoid accidents caused by poor visibility.

Ferry operations resumed around 10 am today (27 December) as visibility improved.

During the suspension, three ferries — Shah Makhdum, Barkat, and Enayetpuri — remained stranded mid-river with passengers and vehicles on board, causing severe hardship to commuters and transport workers.

Ferry services on the Aricha–Kazirhat route were also halted from 8:00 pm on Friday as fog density increased, leaving more than 200 vehicles waiting at the Aricha and Kazirhat terminals.

Due to the suspension on both routes, hundreds of vehicles, including buses, night coaches, private cars, microbuses, and goods-laden trucks, were stranded at four ferry terminals.

As the night progressed, the number of waiting vehicles continued to rise, with more vehicles arriving at the terminals this morning. 

At Paturia Ghat, the queue of stranded vehicles stretched three to four kilometres from the terminal onto the highway.

Aricha Sector BIWTC Deputy General Manager Abdus Salam said the long suspension led to a significant backlog of vehicles at the terminals.

"Considering passenger inconvenience, buses, private cars, and microbuses are being given priority in ferry crossings, and the goods-laden trucks will be ferried gradually," he said.