Long-awaited Ctg-Sandwip ferry service starts, 6 advisers join maiden voyage

The long-awaited ferry service between Chattogram and Sandwip has officially begun, marking a significant milestone for the four lakh residents of the remote island upazila.

Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Shipping, inaugurated the newly constructed ferry terminal and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus station at Banshbaria in Sitakunda today (24 March) at 8:30am.

The service, initiated by the Ministry of Shipping, will operate between Banshbaria in Chattogram's Sitakunda Upazila and Guptachara in Sandwip.

The fare structure for the ferry service is as follows: Tk100 for general passengers, Tk200 for motorcycles, Tk500 for CNG-powered auto-rickshaws, Tk900 for cars, Tk3,300 for buses, Tk3,350 for trucks, Tk7,100 for ten-wheelers.

The inaugural ferry journey to Sandwip departed at 9am. To mark the occasion, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus addressed a virtual gathering at the Sandwip Upazila Parishad premises as the chief guest.

Several distinguished guests attended the inauguration, including Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Liberation War Affairs and Disaster Management Adviser Farooq E Azam, Education Adviser Professor Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, and Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar.

To complement the ferry service, the BRTC has introduced an AC bus service connecting Chattogram Airport, Sea Beach, Nimtala, Nayabazar, Kumira, Banshbaria Ferry Ghat, and Sandwip Enam Nahar intersection.

New roads, parking facilities, and ferry piers have been constructed at both ends to accommodate the service. Several trial runs were conducted before the official launch, overcoming previous unsuccessful attempts to establish the route.

With this development, all types of vehicles, including buses, trucks, tank lorries, minibuses, and private cars, can now reach Sandwip directly. The improved connectivity is expected to enhance the quality of life for residents and boost economic activity on the island.

Saleh Noman, general secretary of the Chattogram Metropolitan Journalists Union and a native of Sandwip, said, "Sandwip is now integrated into the national communication network. This will drive development in the island upazila and significantly enhance the quality of life for its people."

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Chattogram Deputy Director Md Kamruzzaman highlighted the operational details, stating, "The journey between Chattogram and Sandwip takes approximately one hour and ten minutes. There will be four ferry trips per day, subject to tidal conditions. Each ferry can transport around 35 vehicles of various sizes."

Shamshul Alam Saiful, master of the improved medium-type ferry Kapotaksha, added that the vessel can accommodate 600 passengers along with vehicles.