Ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route suspended

Ferry services on the Shimulia-Banglabazar route will remain suspended until the Padma calms as strong currents on the river make the crossing risky, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury says.

“Water flow on the river channel may decrease in the next 10 days if there will be no heavy rainfall again. Ferry operation may resume again at that time,” Khalid Mahmud said at a media briefing in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Shimulia-Banglabazar route from Munshiganj to Madaripur links the southern districts of Bangladesh to Dhaka. People use the Paturia-Daulatdia river route if the Shimulia-Bangla Bazar route remains closed, reports bdnews24.com.

“There is no problem to operate ferries from Shimulia to Banglabazar under the current circumstances, but the return journey is a big concern. We don't want to take chances,” he added.

“There was no span there when the authorities used to operate ferries on this route earlier. Now the ferries have to cross the river through a certain pocket as spans of the Padma Bridge project are installed now. It’s difficult to control a ferry when the currents begin to swirl in the river.”

Ferries have crashed into Padma Bridge pillars at least four times since July this year. The BIWTC authorities have suspended ferry masters and employees due to their failure to properly operate the vessels after the incidents.

Several people in the government expressed their concerns over the incidents, asking the authorities to check whether the collision between the ferries and the pillars of the under-construction bridge was a deliberate act as part of a conspiracy.

The state minister for shipping himself had spoken of his suspicion at the end of August that the collision was part of a conspiracy.

“The government decided to keep the ferry operations suspended as the Padma Bridge is a sensitive issue now. Nearly 160 million people of Bangladesh now consider the structure as their own creation,” Khalid Mahmud had said.