Thousands of people have begun returning to their workplaces from the Bhola district with their families after the Eid holidays, leading to a massive rush at launch terminals.
The Ilisha Launch Terminal in Sadar upazila of the district witnessed overwhelming crowds on Thursday morning.
Passenger vessels on the Ilisha-Laxmipur route, including launches and sea trucks, operated with two to three times their standard capacity, putting commuters at risk.
Many people were seen waiting at the terminal for hours due to the passenger load far exceeding the number of vessels while some, unable to wait, resorted to illegally crossing the turbulent Meghna River using unauthorised trawlers, risking their lives.
Although two launches and four sea trucks currently operate on the Ilisha-Laxmipur route, the number of vessels remains inadequate compared to the soaring number of passengers.
As a result, desperate commuters, including families with children, are braving hazardous journeys across the river.
Authorities have warned that the risk of accidents remains high under such conditions. But officials of the terminal expected that the rush to returnees to intensify further until Saturday.
Passengers complained that the available launches and sea trucks are not sufficient to accommodate the crowd traveling to Laxmipur.
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Besides, the vessels in service are relatively small and have been transporting passengers far beyond their capacity, raising serious safety concerns. They demanded larger vessels to ease passenger suffering.
Many passengers, including families, were forced to wait for long hours in the sweltering heat for the next available launch due to the shortage.
Despite awareness efforts, most passengers were seen ignoring mask usage amid ongoing concerns about COVID-19.
Mohammad Jasim Uddin, Traffic Officer of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said that 11 launches are operating daily on the Bhola-Dhaka waterway.
Besides, two launches and four sea trucks are serving the Ilisha-Laxmipur route.
He also informed that mobile court drives have been conducted against illegal river crossings on the Meghna. So far, four speedboats and one trawler have been fined a total of Tk 50,000.
Efforts are also underway to increase awareness among passengers regarding the use of face masks to prevent COVID-19 transmission, said Jashim Uddin.