Over 700 vehicles waiting to cross on both sides of Shimulia Banglabazar ghat

Over 700 vehicles are waiting on both sides of the Shimulia-Banglabazar ghat area to cross the Padma river.

Monir Hossain, a passenger in a Khulna-bound private car, said he arrived at the wharf around 3 am on Thursday but could not get on the ferry yet.

Gopalganj-bound microbus passenger Chunnu Mia said, "I have been in line since morning but haven't had a chance to get on the ferry. A lot of cars are getting on the ferry with VIP identities. The launch is also crowded," reports Somoy TV.

Meanwhile, the launches are carrying extra passengers across the rough Padma without following the hygiene rules.

BIWTC co-general manager Shafiqul Islam said, "Currently, five medium-sized ferries are operating on the naval route. Large ferries have been shut down. Due to this, the pressure of passengers and vehicles on both sides is increasing. That's why the waiting line of vehicles is increasing, causing traffic jams."

He also said, "Trucks and buses have been restricted to river crossings due to overcrowding of small vehicles. Ro-ro ferries are being sent to Paturia. More than 700 vehicles are waiting to cross on both sides."

He further added, "There are 87 launches operating on this naval route. Passengers are also crossing by trawler with risk. Speedboat movement is closed as they have no registration."

Ferries collided with the pillars of the Padma Bridge four times. After the last incident on Monday night, the Ministry of Shipping held an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon and decided that the ferry service with heavy vehicles would be suspended under the Padma Bridge until the current of the river subsides.

The ferries will be able to operate on the Shimulia-Banglabazar route with half their capacity until the current returns to normal at night.

The new decision came a few hours after State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury announced the closure at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.