Mismanagement at ferry ghat and unprotected pontoon

In the tragic incident where a bus fell into the Padma River at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari resulting in the deaths of at least 26 people, issues of security lapses and mismanagement at the ferry terminal have come to the forefront.

The absence of railings on unsecured pontoons, connection roads filled with slopes and potholes, competition among vehicles to board the ferry first, and overall mismanagement have turned the ferry terminal into a death trap. Those involved believe this is the reason behind such a tragic event.

As of Thursday evening, a total of 26 bodies have been recovered in the bus drowning incident. All the bodies were handed over to their relatives yesterday. Among them are 18 people from 12 families in Rajbari district, and others from Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Gopalganj, Dinajpur, and Ashulia, Dhaka. Some families lost a mother, son, and grandson, others lost a husband and wife, and some lost a mother and daughter or a mother and son.

Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md. Hafizur Rahman from the Rajbari District Commissioner''s Office told Prothom Alo that two diving teams from the fire service conducted a rescue operation until midnight Wednesday and recovered 16 bodies from inside the bus. After retrieving the bus from the river, the divers recovered 8 more bodies by 2 pm on Thursday. Before that, two were rescued on Wednesday afternoon but were declared dead at the Goaland Upazila Health Complex.

Hafizur Rahman said that the district administration has already provided an immediate financial assistance of 25,000 BDT to the families of the deceased. Injured victims will receive 15,000 BDT once their list is prepared.

Goalanda Upazila Executive Officer Sathi Das reported that among the deceased, there were four male children, three female children, 11 women, and 8 men.

At around 5:15 pm on Wednesday, a passenger bus bound for Dhaka, waiting to cross the river at Daulatdia''s Number 3 ferry terminal, lost control and fell into the river from the pontoon. The bus began its journey from Kumarkhali in Kushtia with only six passengers, who were then joined by at least 50 more passengers from various locations along the way.
Unprotected Pontoon

Pontoons are tied to the riverbank at the end of approach roads at ferry terminals, facilitating the movement of vehicles onto and off the ferries. At Daulatdia''s Number 3 terminal, vehicles use three pockets on the pontoon to board and disembark from ferries.

During a field visit, it was observed that the very old and small pontoon was unprotected, lacking any iron railings or safety barriers. As a result, passengers and vehicles have to board and disembark from the ferry at their own risk. The situation is similar at terminals 4 and 7.

Shariful Islam, a supervisor of a JR Transport passenger bus en route from Meherpur to Dhaka, told Prothom Alo that the pontoon has no safety barriers or railings; if they had been there, the bus might not have plunged into the river, preventing such a loss of life.

The approach roads leading from the main road to the pontoons at the Daulatdia and Paturia ferry terminals are quite sloped. During a field visit, it was observed that both terminals had roads filled with potholes, making it extremely difficult for vehicles to board and disembark from the ferry with passengers and cargo. Vehicles often get stuck on these roads, leading to occasional accidents.

On March 11th at night, a lorry carrying soybean oil lost control and plunged into the river while descending the ramp from the pontoon to the raised approach road at Paturia''s Number 5 terminal. Fortunately, the driver and assistant survived.

Yesterday, near Daulatdia’s Number 3 terminal, a conversation took place with Polash Sheikh, a covered van driver for a private food production company. He said, "The roads for boarding and disembarking ferries are steep. When vehicles with loads board or disembark from ferries, it''s often difficult to control the brake. If the brake fails, there is a risk of an accident. The ferries are also old."

There are allegations that the mismanagement of the terminal authority is partly responsible for the falling of the Souhardo Transport bus into the river. According to protocol, vehicles intending to cross the terminal should line up on the road before boarding the pontoon.

Only after all vehicles disembark from the arriving ferry should the waiting vehicles board the ferry. Eyewitnesses reported that on Wednesday afternoon, as soon as the ferry named "Hasnahena" reached the terminal, the bus started moving from the connection road, directly plunging into the river.

Monir Hossain, the supervisor of Souhardo Transport at Daulatdia terminal, stated that sometimes third-class employees of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) are in charge at Daulatdia zero point. Without fully understanding the situation at the terminal, they sometimes instruct Dhaka-bound vehicles intending to cross the river to go to the terminal.

Monir Hossain said that on Wednesday, the responsible individuals directed the Souhardo Transport bus to Number 3 terminal, where they found a ferry taking on vehicles. Having no other option, they waited on the connection road for the next ferry. Shortly after, another small ferry bumped into the pontoon, and due to the sloped connection road and the collision impact, the driver lost control, causing the bus to fall directly from the pontoon into the river.

The chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), Md. Salim Ullah, the State Minister of Culture and Member of Parliament for Rajbari-1, Ali Nawaz Mahmud Khayyam, visited the ferry terminal yesterday afternoon. They assured a fair investigation and necessary actions and mentioned promptly resolving the dilapidation of the terminal.

Answering journalists'' questions, the BIWTC chairman said that usually, vehicles stop before reaching the pontoon, and then board the ferry as per convenience. However, at the time of the accident, it was seen that the ferry "Hasnahena" was not prepared, but due to the driver’s error, the vehicle approached the pontoon. The rule is that vehicles on the ferry disembark first, followed by new vehicles boarding.

The BIWTC chairman further noted that for safety purposes, railings will be placed on the pontoons to prevent such incidents in the future. Those involved in managing the ferries and terminals will be given modern training.

However, BIWTC''s Assistant General Manager at the Daulatdia office, Mohammad Salah Uddin, claims that the accident occurred because the bus "failed its brakes." He mentioned that the staff, including third-class employees at the zero point of the ferry terminal, were discharging their assigned duties. Before the accident on Wednesday, the bus was waiting at the ferry terminal. The bus plunged into the Padma River because the driver could not control it after the brakes failed.

Assistant Commissioner Hafizur Rahman at the Rajbari District Commissioner’s Office said that after speaking with several eyewitness passengers and locals, it is preliminarily suspected that the bus had a defect, which prevented the driver from controlling it. However, a committee has been formed to investigate the matter, which has already begun its work. The cause of the accident will likely be determined after the investigation.

On Wednesday at midnight, the Rajbari district administration formed a high-level investigation committee comprising five members. Additional District Magistrate Ushen Mei is the convener of the committee. The investigation committee has been instructed to submit a report to the district commissioner within three working days, according to District Commissioner Sultana Akhter.

Additionally, a six-member investigation committee has been formed from the Ministry of Shipping. The convener of the committee is the Ministry''s Additional Secretary, Md. Muhitul Islam. The committee has been tasked with submitting a report within three working days.
Yesterday evening, the fire service temporarily suspended the rescue operations. Before this, a joint team of the Coast Guard and Navy conducted search operations in the ferry terminal area.

The victims of the bus drowning incident include Rehana Akhter (61), her son Ahnof Tahmid Khan (25), and grandson (daughter’s child) Tajbid (7) from the Bhabanipur area of Rajbari municipality; Zahura Antar (27) and Kazi Saif (30) from Sajjankanda in the same area; Soha Akhter (11) from the Rajbari municipal area; Marjina Akhter (32) and Safia Akhter Rinhi (12) from Char Barkipara in Goaland; Faiz Shahanur (11) from Bhabanipur in Kalukhali; Nazmira alias Jesmin (30) from Belgachi village in the same Upazila; Abdur Rahman (6) from Mahendrapur village; Ashraful from Char Madapur village; Jahangir and Uzzal from the same Upazila; driver Arman Khan (31) from West Khalkhoola in Baliakandi Upazila of Rajbari; Lima Akhter (26) from Ramchandrapur in Rajbari Sadar and Josna (35) from Bara Char Beni Nagar.

The deceased also include Sabit Hasan (8) from Agmarai village; Marjina Khatun (56) from Mojmpur area of Kushtia municipality; Israfil (3) from Somajpur area of Kustia’s Khoksa; Rajib Biswas (28) from Khagorobariya in Kustia Sadar; Ayesha Siddika (13) from Samsapur in Khoksa Upazila; Mukta Khanam (38) from the Noadha village in the Kotaliapara Upazila of Gopalganj; Nasima (40) from Mathurai village in the Parbatipur Upazila of Dinajpur; and Ayesha Akhter Suma (30) from Bagdhunia Palpara of Ashulia, Dhaka.

Deowan Sohel Rana, Deputy Assistant Director of Rajbari Fire Station and Civil Defense, stated that no further missing persons have been reported. If any such reports arise, immediate action will be taken. However, rescue operations are set to resume from Friday morning.