United News of Bangladesh

Ferry services on Aricha-Kazirhat and Paturia-Daulatdia river routes in Manikganj resumed on Friday morning after nine hours of suspension due to dense fog. Nasir Chowdhury, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) in Aricha sector, said the ferry services resumed at 10:30am after the fog cleared. Earlier, he said the fog intensified in the Padma and Jamuna rivers’ basins starting from midnight, forcing them to suspend the ferry services at 1:30am. The suspension caused four ferries stuck in the middle of the both rivers and over 500 vehicles at the terminals. During this time, four ferries—Borkot, Kopoti, and Khan Jahan Ali, and Chitra got stuck in the middle of the rivers. Read: Fog fades in Meghna River, ferry services resume Moreover, six ferries remained stuck at the Paturia terminal, four at the Daulatdia, and three at the Aricha, all carrying passengers and vehicles, according to terminal authorities. Currently, over 500 vehicles were stuck at the four ferry terminals, with over 400 freight trucks, they said. Nasir said they allowed passenger buses, private cars, microbuses, ambulances to cross the river on the priority basis after the fogs lifted.

Ferry services on the Aricha-Kazirhat route resumed at 9:30 am on Friday, following a six-hour suspension caused by dense fog that had severely impacted visibility.The fog, which started to intensify around midnight, reached its peak at 3:30 am, completely enveloping the ferry channel and obstructing navigation. This forced authorities to halt ferry movement to prevent any potential accidents. Fog disrupts ferry services on two key waterwaysAs the fog began to lift by late morning, ferry operations were restored, bringing relief to hundreds of stranded passengers and vehicles. During the suspension, two Ro-Ro ferries, Shah Ali and Dhanshiri, were stuck in the middle of the river with both passengers and vehicles on board.Nasir Chowdhury, deputy general manager (DGM) of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said that the fog’s intensity disrupted not only the ferry services but also the visibility of the channel's beacon lights, making the route unsafe for travel. Ferry services on Chilmari-Roumari route suspended for 17 days In addition to the Aricha-Kazirhat route, ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route were also halted earlier at 5:30 am due to similar fog conditions. Four ferries—Dhaka, Enayetpuri, Bonlata, and Keramat Ali—became stuck mid-river, and a total of eight ferries were delayed at the terminals.The suspension of ferry services left over 300 vehicles stranded at both ferry terminals, most of which were cargo trucks, private cars, and microbuses. As visibility improved, priority was given to passenger vehicles, with cargo trucks being gradually allowed to cross. Ferry services resume on Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes after fog disruptionBy 9:30 am, when the fog's intensity had decreased, both ferry routes resumed normal operations, easing the travel situation for commuters.

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  

Ferry operations on Aricha-Kazirhat waterway have been suspended since Saturday evening due to low navigability in the approach channel. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) made the decision at 6pm on Saturday mentioning safety concerns. As a result, over 300 goods-laden trucks got stranded on both sides of the river, causing immense suffering of drivers, labours and passengers awaiting transport. Abu Abdullah Rony, manager of BIWTC's Aricha commercial office, said that the channel's water levels are insufficient, making ferry operations risky. "The buildup of silt in the Aricha approach channel has reduced the river's depth, obstructing ferry movement. To prevent accidents, we had no option but to suspend services," he said. Read: Ferry services resume on Aricha-Kazirhat route after 56 hours Nasir Mohammad Chowdhury, deputy general manager of BIWTC's Aricha regional office, said that at least eight feet of navigable depth is required for ferries to operate safely. However, the channel currently has less than six feet of depth. "Under these conditions, continuing operations was impossible, so we had to stop ferry services from Saturday evening," he added. With this, this ferry service has been suspended three times this month.

Ferry services on the Aricha-Kazirhat route have been suspended due to poor navigability, leaving 300 goods-laden vehicles stranded on the river.Nasir Mohammad Chowdhury, deputy general manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at the Aricha point, said several ferries were stuck on hidden shoals on Friday due to the poor navigability in the Padma River, forcing the authorities to halt ferry services multiple times.Finally, ferry services on the Aricha-Kazirhat route were suspended at 10 pm on Friday after a ferry got stuck on a hidden shoal in a remote area near Aricha, he said. Ferry capsize in Padma: sunken ferry, six more vehicles yet to be retrievedA total of 300 goods-laden vehicles were stranded on both the Padma River due to the suspension of ferry services.The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) started dredging work, and ferry services will resume once the work is completed.

Authorities on Thursday morning suspended launch services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat launch routes for inclement weather.