Hundreds of vehicles still remained stuck on both sides of Daulatdia-Paturia river routes as the ferry services in the route are yet to return to normalcy as of Saturday evening.
General manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Aricha Shahadat Hossain said nine of the 10 Ro-Ro ferries and three K-type ferries were operating across the Padma River with vehicles of one-third of their capacities.
He also said another Ro-Ro ferry, Keramat Ali, which ran aground in a hidden shoal on Friday morning, could be rescued as of Saturday evening.
“Two of the three tug boats went out of order while trying to rescue Keramat Ali and the other Ro-Ro ferries were transporting the vehicles with the help of the only tug boat,” Shahadat said.
Several hundred vehicles, including goods-laden trucks, remained stuck in a four-km tailback at Daulatdia while several hundred were waiting in a queue at Paturia to cross the river, causing sufferings to thousands of passengers.
Executive engineer Tariqul Islam of BIWTA (Dredging) claimed that the ferry services were being hampered as the channel got filled by sand driven by current from the upstream.
Source: UNBConnect
