Waves of people were seen at different river terminals, like Kewrakandi-Shimulia and Daulatia-Paturia, yesterday as holidaymakers after celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr were returning to the capital.
Pressure of people intensified with the passing of time as thousands of passengers were jostling one another to board on ferries, launches and speedboats to cross the mighty Padma river.
Since yesterday morning, people gathered at Kewrakandi ghat which is the gateway of 21 districts of the southern region connecting the capital.
They stood in the long queues to board any water vessel to cross the Padma.
Abul Bashar, who along with his family was standing in a queue for speed boats, said, “We are standing for half an hour for speed boat to cross the Padma quickly as the weather is not good. As there is huge pressure of people, many people are waiting for the speed boats.”
According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) sources, the passengers surged at the Kewrakandi ghat since yesterday morning. There were mounting pressure on launches and speed boats but the number of transports was somewhat few.
As the weather was bad, an overwhelming number of passengers were boarding the ferries. A total of 17 ferries of the BIWTC were plying the Kewrakandi-Shimulia route.
The goods carrying transports are out of the roads due to the pressure of passengers, the sources said. However, the launches were carrying overloaded passengers to cross the river.
But transport inspector at Kewrakandi ghat ABS Mahmud said, “No launch is carrying overloaded passengers. There is no chance of it. But when the pressure of passengers increases a bit, some passengers go on the board. But it is within the capacity.” Thousands of people also gathered at Dauladia ghat since morning to cross the Padma river to reach Dhaka after Eid holiday.
Besides, every day thousands of passengers are coming back to the capital by buses and railways.
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Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.
Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.