Banglabazar-Shimulia ferry services suspended

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) has decided to suspend ferry service on Banglabazar- Shimulia ferry route in day time from today (May 8) in a bid to prevent spread of coronavirus infection in the country.

However, a limited number of ferries will run from the evening. Only emergency vehicles, ambulances and goods-laden trucks will get priority to cross the river at night. The matter has been confirmed by BIWTC Shimulia Ferry Manager (Commerce) Safayat Ahmed.

He said Shimulia terminal was teeming with homebound people ahead of Eid on Friday. Thousands of people were found leaving the capital for southern districts ignoring the lockdown.  Passengers were seen crossing the Padma by ferry. Many ferries were  forced to leave for the destinations without any vehicle due to the massive crowd of passengers. Thousands of transports were seen waiting at the ferry terminal to cross the river.

He said the ministry informed us to suspend ferry service from Saturday. All ferries were anchored on Friday night.He also said most of the 16 commuting ferries of the ferry fleet of Shimulia-Banglabazar were operated to cross the river on Friday due to huge passengers. But we suspended the service after 3.00am.