Launch services from Sadarghat to Chandpur and other southern districts have been suspended since Sunday evening due to dense fog, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said on December 28.
According to a special notice, all passenger launches scheduled for Chandpur and other southern districts on Sunday night will remain suspended.
Launches already en route have been instructed to navigate in accordance with the Inland Water Transport Ordinance, 1976.
The sudden suspension has caused inconvenience for many passengers at Sadarghat, officials said.
Muhammad Mobarak Hossain, Joint Director (Water Safety and Traffic) at Dhaka River Port (Sadarghat), told Jago News, “Dense fog set in after evening. Visibility on the Buriganga River is very low, and conditions are worse on larger rivers. Operating ferries in such weather is extremely risky. We suspended services after 5:30 pm and operations will resume once the fog clears.”
BIWTA officials noted that ferries to Barishal and other southern districts typically depart after sunset, and the severity of Sunday evening’s fog was unexpected. No prior warning had been received from the Meteorological Department.
The authority also emphasised caution following a recent ferry collision on the Meghna River in Chandpur last Thursday night, which killed four people, highlighting the dangers of navigating in dense fog.
RMM/MHK