Padma
2 farmers go missing as trawler sinks in Padma
Two farmers went missing Saturday morning after a paddy-laden trawler capsized in the Padma river amid stormy weather near Louhajang turning point in Munshiganj district.
The missing farmers were identified as Helal Fakir,50, and Alo Fakir,60.
The trawler with 15 passengers , all farmers, on board sank in the river while theywere returning home after harvesting paddy at Arial Beel with some 150 maunds of paddy.
Also read: Boat capsizes in Sylhet; 2 missing
Thirteen farmers were rescued alive with the help of nearby vessels after the accident, said Abdul Awal, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Louhajang Upazila.
He said fire service men were informed while locals were trying to trace the missing farmers at noon.
Also read: Missing tourist’s body recovered after two days from Moheshkhali Channel
“The trawler was moving defying the ban on trawler movement due to inclement weather and action will be taken in this regard,” said UNO Abdul Awal.
Padma Bridge inauguration in June: Quader
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the much-hyped Padma Bridge will be inaugurated in June and preparations are going on for its opening.
Quader, also Awami League General Secretary, made the remarks while briefing reporters after the 111th board meeting of Bangladesh Bridge Authority at the conference room of Bridges Division in the capital.
The minister said the work progress of the main bridge is 98 percent while river training is 92 percent and the progress of carpeting work is 91 percent.
READ: Vaccine is not the only solution: Quader
The total work progress of the project is 93.50 percent, he said.
Obaidul Quader said the total work progress of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram is 85 percent.
Energy and Mineral Resources Division secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain, Roads and Highways Division secretary Md. Nazrul Islam, Power Division secretary Md. Habibur Rahman, Legislative & Parliamentary Affairs Division secretary Md. Moinul Kabir, Land secretary Md. Mustafizur Rahman, Railway secretary Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir, Physical Infrastructure Division secretary Md. Mamun-Al-Rashid, Bridges Division secretary, and Bangladesh Bridge Authority executive director Md. Manzoor Hossain were, among others, present at the meeting.
Ferry service resumes on Shimulia-Banglabazar route
Ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route resumed on Monday after over two months of suspension,
Medium sized ferries carrying light vehicles will operate on this route during the day time for now, said Ashikuzzaman, Director (commerce) of BIWTC.
Currently four ferries are plying on this route while passengers are being carried by 87 launches and 101 speedboats, he said.
Also read: Ferry movement suspended on Shimulia-Banglabazar route
All the ferries were seen moving with ease under the Padma bridge.
On August 18, BIWTC suspended all ferry services on the route for an indefinite period due to strong current in the Padma River.
The decision came after at least five ferries hit the Padma Bridge pillars between July and August this year.
Also read: Ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route resume after 48 days
PM for formation of two new divisions as Padma, Meghna
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said she wants to upgrade Faridpur and Cumilla as two new divisions after the names of two major rivers – Padma and Meghna.
“I’ve decided to form two new divisions after two rivers- one would be named after Padma and another after Meghna,” she said.
Read:WTO rules to help Bangladesh more after graduation: Hasina
The Prime Minister revealed it while opening the newly-constructed office Bhaban for Awami League’s Cumilla City unit virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
She said if the division is formed after the name of Cumilla other districts might not be interested to join it.
Read: Hasina unveils state-of-the-art exhibition centre in Purbachal
The PM said she will form Faridpur Division after the name of Padma, another famous river of the country.
LGRD Minister Tazul Islam, AL organising secretary Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon and local Awami League MP AKM Bahauddin and other local AL leaders joined the virtual the function from the new office building.
Padma boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 5, 3 remain missing
The death toll from last week’s tragic boat accident in the Padma river rose to five with the recovery of another child’s body on Monday.
Three people still remain missing, said the officials.
The body of missing Brishti Khatun,8, daughter of Harunur Rashid of of Bish Rossia village in Panka union of Shibganj upazila was recovered from barrier dam-8 area of the river.
Officer-in-Charge of Shibganj police station, Asaduzzaman said family members of the child spotted the body in the morning and recovered it from the river.
Also read: Padma boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 4
The body was buried without an autopsy according to the family’s request, he said.
The tragedy occurred on September 29, afternoon when the boat carrying 47 people sank in the Padma river off the coast of Laxmipur in Shibganj.
The other five deceased were identified as Nilufar Begum, 62, wife of Khairul Islam of Bish Rossia village in Panka union of Shibganj upazila, and her grandchildren Maisha, 5, and Asmaul 7, children of Babu Ali, and Daisy Begum,35, wife of Harunur Rashid, Bish Rossia village.
Also read: 2 dead, 7 missing in Sirajganj boat accident
Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shakib Al Rabbi said the boat carrying around 50 people capsized in the river around 2.15 pm owing to strong winds.
The boat was heading towards Bishrashia from Boglauri of Shibganj upazila.
Govt. mulls tunnel under Padma River between Daulatdia and Paturia: Quader
The government plans to build a tunnel under Padma River _ instead of a bridge _between Daulatdia and Paturia for the sake of the river’s navigability, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Friday.
His statement came amid speculations that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, basking in the successful construction of Padma Bridge, will build a second one over the river.
The country’s first-ever underwater expressway, Bangabandhu Tunnel, is being built under Karnaphuli River in Chattogram.
READ: Padma Bridge to open before June next year: Quader
Quader, also the General Secretary of Awami League, was speaking at a seminar organized by the party’s sub-committee on science and technology at the city’s Institute of Engineers Bangladesh- IEB.
He said mere building of good roads is not good enough. These must be maintained properly.
Turning to politics he once again criticised opposition BNP for its lack of any political direction. He said that BNP’s Vision-2030 announced before the last election has now been kept in a cold storage.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has visions for 2021, 2041 and 2100 and she will do whatever is needed to achieve these visions, he said.
READ: Don’t resort to arson again in name of movement, Quader warns BNP
The seminar was presided over by the chairman of the sub-Committee Prof. Dr. Md. Hossain Mansur.
Padma gulps Daulatdia ferry terminal-4, mosque and homes in Goalundo
In just two hours choppy Padma River devoured Daulatdia ferry terminal number four, a mosque, land and houses on Monday as severe erosion played havoc in Mondayat Siddique Kazipara area in Goalundo upazila.
About 20 more families evacuated their houses as relentless river erosion devastated the area.
Local villagers scurried to save their belongings as the structures and the land disappeared into the river before being washed away by the tide between 8 am and 10 am.
Imam of the Siddique Kazipara Jame Mosque, Hafez Jobayer Hossain said a portion of the residential slipped into water first and then tube well, houses, his own home and half of the concrete building was gulped by the river.
Siddique Kazi, after whose ancestors the area was named, said for last few days whirlpools and strong currents started scrapping away lands but it intensified most today.
READ: 10 Padma bridge guards held over alleged murder
“Giobags were not dumped in places where it should been even after our request,” he said.
Upazila Parishad member Ashraful Islam said in ward-2 area from Daulatdia launch terminal to ferry terminal-5 around 200 families and in Mashjidsheikh Para area from launch terminal to ferry terminal-1 some 600 to 800 families are threatened by rapid erosion.
Deputy assistant engineer of Bangladesh inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Aricha office Makbul Hossain said regular work to prevent erosion was going on at the launch terminal area but no work was done at terminal four as it was not affected by erosion.
Immediately after being informed of the erosion direction was given to dump giobags to prevent the erosion, he said.
Assistant director general (marine) of BIWTC Aricha office, Abdus Sattar said, due to erosion and strong current no ferries could anchor at terminal-4 for last two weeks and terminal-3 is also at risk.
Currently terminal 5,6 and 7 is being used, said the official.
Locals said, on August 11 and 12 around 100 meter of the launch terminal went into the river due to erosion.
READ: Authority places lighted buoy to protect Padma Bridge from ferries
From July 13 to August 9 at least three times the locals faced erosion and many families had to evacuate from their house, they said.
UP chairman, Abdur Rahman demanded of the government steps to prevent the erosion as every year 200 families on an average lose their land to river erosion within this 8km area.
Authority places lighted buoy to protect Padma Bridge from ferries
A floating lighted buoy has been placed Sunday at three kilometers south to the span number 12 and 13 of the Padma bridge to help ferries avoid colliding with the piers while passing under it.
The decision to place the buoy was taken in a meeting of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Bangladesh Inland Water Transport and Communication (BIWTC), Bangladesh Armed Forces, and the bridge authority to determine procedures to protect the bridge piers from collision with ferries on Shimulia-Banglabazar route.
As ferries plying from Bangla Bazar to Shimulia have to face a strong current immediately after passing the Hajra channel just 1.3 km away from the bridge it becomes difficult for the navigators to control the turn that led to consecutive incidents of collisions in the area in last few days, according to the authorities.
Also read: Ferries plying around Padma Bridge to get outer rubber layer
Now the ferries will target the buoy after passing Hajra channel and will be able to adjust the heading control with the current before reaching near the bridge, they said.
Already ferries started moving targeting the buoy and the authority plans to place a spherical buoy later after conducting a hydrographic survey on Monday.
Meanwhile for navigation on Banglabazar-Shimulia route ferries were suggested to move through the span 11,12,13 and 14 area.
Also read: Ferry with heavy vehicles banned from plying under Padma bridge: Khalid
As the vessels moving on Shimulia-Banglabazar route will move against the current and less likely to lose control, authorities suggested they use span 6,7 and the adjoining two spans according to the situation.
Reward announced for info on missing Chinese engineer
A 26-year-old Chinese engineer, working in the Padma Bridge Project, remains missing three days after he presumably fell into the river near the Shimulia ferry terminal in Munshiganj's Louhajang.
Zhao Jianpeng, who was working for Padma Bridge Project contractor China Major Bridge Company, went missing on June 22.
Read: Chinese engineer goes missing in Padma
China Major Bridge Engineering Company announced a Tk2 lakh reward for information about Zhao's whereabouts, Mawa river police Officer-in-Charge of Sirajul Kabir said Friday.
"There was no trace of the missing person, although the fire service, coast guard, river police; and army personnel working in the security team of the project conducted rescue operations from Tuesday night to Friday," Sirajul said. "However, the operations will resume Saturday."
Zhao was tasked with installing a power tower (number 13) of the National Grid as part of the project. He had gone to the tower point for work at 5pm and went missing around 8:30pm on June 22. His colleagues alerted police after failing to locate him.
Read: No trace of Chinese engineer 24 hrs after likely falling into Padma
It is suspected that Zhao fell into the Padma river. However, the local and foreign engineers, who were also working there, could not confirm if Zhao fell into the river since no one saw it happening.
Sirajul said, "Several engineers and other workers stay at a makeshift camp near the ferry terminal in Louhajang, and they use boats to go to the tower point in the river daily."
"On Tuesday night, Zhao went to the tower point for work but went missing around 8.30pm. His colleagues alerted us after failing to locate him," he added.
Read Living in fear of the mighty Padma
No trace of Chinese engineer 24 hrs after likely falling into Padma
There is still no sign of a 26-year-old Chinese engineer, working in the Padma Bridge Project, more than 24 hours after he reportedly fell in the river near the Shimulia ferry terminal in Munshiganj's Louhajang.
Zhao Jianpeng was tasked with installing a power tower (number 13) of the National Grid as part of the project. He had gone to the tower point for work at 5pm and went missing around 8:30pm Tuesday.
His colleagues alerted police after failing to locate him. On being informed, the fire service, coast guard, river police; and army personnel working in the security team of the project started conducting rescue operations but there was no trace of him till 9pm today.