Ferry services resume on Daulatdia–Paturia route after three hours

Ferry services on the Daulatdia–Paturia river route have resumed after remaining suspended for nearly three hours due to sudden dense fog in Falgun.

Services restarted around 8:50am on Tuesday, March 3, after the fog density over the Padma river basin decreased.

Earlier, from 5:50am, dense fog had made the navigational marking lights on the waterway unclear. To avoid mid-river accidents, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) authorities temporarily suspended ferry movement.

The suspension left passenger buses, trucks and other vehicles stranded at both Daulatdia and Paturia ferry terminals, causing suffering for drivers, passengers and transport workers. Children and elderly passengers faced particular hardship.

BIWTC Daulatdia ghat branch manager Mohammad Salahuddin said ferry operations resumed from 8:50am after the fog subsided. Vehicles waiting at the terminals are now being transported serially. If ferry movement continues normally, the backlog of vehicles will decrease quickly.

Notably, a total of 14 ferries—both small and large—are currently operating on the Daulatdia–Paturia route to transport passengers and vehicles.