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.

Several commuters had a narrow escape after a ferry carrying them crashed into a pier of the Padma bridge on Friday morning. The accident occurred when the K-type ferry, named Kakoli, was heading towards Shimlulia ghat in Munshiganj district from Banglabazar ghat in Madaripur. "Around 7am, the ferry hit pier number 10 shedding a portion of concrete of the pile cap," executive engineer (main bridge) Dewan Abdul Kader told UNB. Also read: Ferry hits Padma Bridge pillar: BIWTC forms probe committee Though the vessel was partially damaged, there has been no structural damage to the bridge. "But frequent ferry accidents are really concerning," Dewan said.

Amid mad rush of homebound people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, five people died in stampede and heatstroke at Banglabazar ferry terminal on Wednesday. Banglabazar Traffic Police Inspector Ashikur Rahman said a teenage boy was killed in a stampede while getting off Shah Paran ferry. The deceased was identified as Anchur,15, son of Giasuddin Madbor of Noria upazila of Shariatpur. Also read: Covid-19 claims 40 more lives, infects 1,144 others Four others died due to heatstroke and stampede while boarding off Enayetpuri ferry at the same terminal, he said. Sources said that lakhs of people have crossed the Padma River on ferries since morning. All the 17 ferries are operating to cater to the mad rush of homebound people. Some 800 vehicles and 10,000 people have crossed the river till Wednesday noon, officials said. Also read: BGB deployed on Paturia-Daulatdia, Shimulia-Banglabazar routes Authorities, meanwhile, claimed that people will not face any difficulties in crossing rivers as ferry services are available. The UNB correspondent found hundreds of people reaching the Daulatdia-Paturia ghat in the afternoon on foot, in rickshaws and other vehicles, defying all the lockdown norms. Police have installed a number of check-posts on the highway, including Barbaria, Singair and Dhalla areas. Though the cops forced many vehicles coming from other districts to return, passengers were quick to get off the vehicles and head towards the ferry ghat on foot. Also read: Mad rush of homebound people at Paturia terminal Ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Banglabazar routes were suspended to curb the spread of Covid-19. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) said the decision to suspend ferry services on the two busy water routes, with effect from Saturday morning, was taken in the wake of the ongoing second wave of coronavirus. But the mad rush of homebound people forced them to resume the ferry services.