Ferry services halted on two routes, 3 ferries stranded mid-river

Ferry services have been suspended on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes due to dense fog, leaving three ferries stranded mid-river.

Around 1:00am on January 4, the Paturia-Daulatdia route was closed due to dense fog. Two ferries, Birshreshtha Jahangir and Baigar, are currently stuck in the mid-river, while a total of eight ferries remain stranded at the Paturia and Daulatdia terminals.

On the otherhand, fog intensity started to rise after sunset along the Aricha-Kazirhat route. By 11:30pm. The Khan Jahan Ali Ro-Ro ferry, carrying passengers and vehicles, became stuck mid-river.

Meanwhile, three other ferries—Chitra, Krishani, and Shah Ali—were stranded at the Aricha terminal, and the Dhanshiri was held at the Kazirhat terminal.

Nasir Chowdhury, deputy general manager of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), confirmed this.

He said, "The fog had thickened so much that it completely obscured the waterway. As a result, the channel’s beacon lights became indistinct, leading to the suspension of ferry services to avoid potential accidents."

"More than 300 vehicles, including cargo trucks, private cars, and microbuses, are waiting at both terminals for clearance," he added.

Earlier, at around 11:00pm on January 3, ferry services on both routes were suspended for 9 hours due to poor visibility caused by the dense fog.