Hundreds of vehicles were seen stranded at Narsinghpur ferry ghat on Saturday morning, as the mad rush of home-bound commuters increased manifold on the Shariatpur-Chandpur route ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) sources, more than 500 vehicles have been waiting in line at the Narsinghpur ferry ghat since Friday night to cross the Padma river. Abdul Momen, manager of the Narsinghpur ferry ghat, said that the pressure of vehicles has increased at the terminal as authorities have banned the crossing of passenger buses and trucks on Banglabazar-Shimulia and Paturia-Daulatdia routes. READ: Mad rush of homebound people at Shimulia ferry ghat  Traffic inspector Md. Khorshed Alam said that amid the crisis of ferries, "Kamini is out of service". "Adding two more ferries may help cope with the increasing number of vehicles. BIWTC has been informed about the same," he said. Jalal Hossain, a truck driver from Khulna, said, “I came to the dock yesterday and am still waiting to cross the river. I can't say when I will be able to cross the river. Along with excessive food costs, we are facing other difficulties.”

Some 288 tourists,  who were stranded in the beach town of Cox's Bazar due to the ongoing transport strike, have been moved out to Chattogram with the help of the district police. Acting Superintendent of Police Rafiqul Islam said they sent 288 tourists to Chattogram by police buses on Saturday and Sunday without charging any fare. Most of the tourists came to Cox's Bazar on the weekend and those who were scheduled to leave Cox’s Bazar on Friday and Saturday faced sufferings as the long-haul buses did not operate due to the strike, Rafiqul Islam said. Read: Tourist ship operations suspended on Teknaf-Saint Martin's Island route Tourists have been requested to contact the district police lines for any kind of help, he added. Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar Mamunur Rashid, who is also the chairman of Beach Management Committee, said, “Transport strike is a national issue. We expect a quick solution from the government in this regard. We’ll take steps if the tourists seek any assistance.” General Secretary of the Federation of Tourism Owners’ Association of Bangladesh Abul Kashem Shikder said the businesses related to tourism are also being affected due to the sudden transport strike. There are now 15,000-20,000 tourists in Cox’s as the flow of tourists has declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. Amid this grim situation, hoteliers have offered a 30 percent discount on hotel rents, he said. Shikder said the situation had started changing and then came the transport strike dealing a severe blow to the business.    Superintendent of Cox's Bazar Tourist Police Mohammad Zillur Rahman said there are no stuck tourists now in Cox’s Bazar. Those who want to go back arrangements are being made for their return by the district police, he added. Transporters went on an indefinite strike from Friday morning in protest against the recent fuel price hike, causing sufferings to commuters and inter-district passengers.  

Some 300 tourists have got stranded on St Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal due to inclement weather. The authorities concerned have suspended the movement of passenger vessels between Teknaf and St Martin's Island from Sunday afternoon. READ: Cyclone Yaas: Unusual tides destroy Saint Martin's jetty Nur Ahmed, chairman of St Martin's Island union, said “The tourists got stranded due to suspension of the trawler movement and all the tourists on the island are safe. We have informed the local administration about it.” Mohammad Pervez Chowdhury, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said the tourists can return to their respective destinations after the weather improves. READ: Visit Saint Martin, Coral Island, Bangladesh: Piece of Paradise on Bay of Bengal

Rainfall in recent days and water from the upstream have caused Teesta, Dharla and Brahmaputra rivers to burst their banks and inundate new char areas in Kurigram, leaving around 50,000 people marooned.

Sixty-six Bangladeshi citizens who were stranded in India in the midst of the  to Coronavirus crisis having gone there at different times for treatment or travelling, returned home on Saturday.