Dense fog disrupts Daulatdia-Paturia ferry services

Commuters waiting to cross the Padma river had a harrowing time Sunday morning, with the authorities suspending ferry services on the Daulatdia-Paturia route due to dense fog, UNB reports.

Md Salah Uddin, manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Daulatdia point, said the ferry services remained halted from 6:00 am owing to poor visibility.

Three ferries remained stranded in the middle of the Padma and operation 10 more ferries were cancelled on the route, he said.

Sohel Molla, who has been waiting at the ferry terminal to go to Dhaka by an ambulance from Faridpur, said, “My brother suffered a stroke on Saturday night and was admitted to Faridpur Heart Foundation Hospital. After the initial treatment, the doctor referred him to Dhaka. We came at the ferry terminal around 6:00 am and got stuck here due to the ferry suspension following dense fog.”

At Daulatdia point, all vehicles, including long-haul buses, were seen moving slowly with their headlights on Dhaka-Khulna highway due to the dense fog.

Several vehicles also got stuck on both sides of the river due to the suspension of the ferry services, Salah Uddin said. ‘’The services will resume once visibility improves,” he added.