Fourth ferry hits Padma bridge pillar within a month

A ferry rammed into the under-construction Padma bridge on its way from Banglabazar of Madaripur to Shimulia, Munshiganj on Friday morning.

The vessel, Kakoli, hit pillar 10 of the bridge around 6:45am today, Padma bridge project’s executive engineer Md Abdul Kader told Prothom Alo.

This was second such incident with the pillar in four days and fourth overall incident of ferries hitting Padma bridge pillars within a month.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mawa river police inspector Sirajul Islam said, “Once again a small ferry rammed a pillar of Padma bridge due to strong current. We haven’t got any information of any significant damage until now.”

A traffic police inspector at Banglabazar Ghat said that the ferry, Kakoli, left the ghat for Shimulia around 5:45am. It hit the pillar on the way and did not return to Banglabazar.

The traffic police inspector also said the problem is recurring due to strong current in the river. The water level has increased 5-6 feet in a day. That’s why the current has grown strong. Operation of all type of ferries has become very risky now, the inspector added.

Following the incident, the ghat authorities suspended operation of all type of ferries on Shimulia-Banglabazar route for two and a half hours that led to sufferings of people of both the ghats.

Earlier, on 9 August, Ro Ro ferry Birshreshtha Jahangir hit the pillar 10 of the bridge on its way from Banglabazar ghat to Shimulia ghat in Louhajang of Munshiganj. Before that, another Ro Ro ferry, Shahjalal, collided with pillar 17 on 23 July. On 20 July, a ferry, Shah Makhdum, was damaged due to collision with a pillar of the bridge.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) sources said plaster of the pillar near water level was damaged in the incident.