Ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes resumed this morning after a lengthy suspension caused by dense fog that disrupted operations for 10-11 hours.

Nasir Chowdhury, Deputy General Manager of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), confirmed that operations resumed at 10:30 am on the Paturia-Daulatdia route and at 11:00 am on the Aricha-Kazirhat route.

Passenger buses, private cars, and microbuses will be prioritized for crossing, followed by goods-laden trucks, Chowdhury added.

The disruption began on Saturday night when thick fog blanketed the waterways, obscuring visibility and forcing authorities to suspend ferry services to prevent accidents.

Three ferries—Khan Jahan Ali, Birshreshtha Jahangir, and Baigar—were stranded mid-river, while more than 300 vehicles, predominantly cargo trucks, were left waiting at the Paturia, Daulatdia, Aricha, and Kazirhat terminals.

Read: Ferry services on Aricha-Kazirhat & Paturia-Daulatdia routes resume after disruption

The situation deteriorated after sunset, with the fog becoming denser along the Aricha-Kazirhat route. By 11:30 pm, visibility had dropped to near zero, rendering navigation lights ineffective and making the waterway perilous.

Among the stranded ferries, the Khan Jahan Ali Ro-Ro ferry was stuck mid-river with passengers and vehicles onboard. Three other ferries—Chitra, Krishani, and Shah Ali—were immobilized at the Aricha terminal, while the Dhanshiri ferry was stuck at the Kazirhat terminal.

By 1:00 am, authorities suspended ferry operations on the Paturia-Daulatdia route as well. Two ferries, Birshreshtha Jahangir and Baigar, were left stranded mid-river, adding to the growing backlog of eight ferries halted at the terminals.

The resumption of services brought relief to hundreds of stranded passengers and vehicle operators, as the BIWTC worked to clear the backlog and ensure smooth crossings for priority vehicles.

Read more: Ferry services resume on Aricha, Paturia routes after 3 hours