Disrupted ferry, train services mark return journey

Holidaymakers, after celebrating Eid-ul-Azha in outlying districts, continued to return to the capital on Saturday, facing disruption in train and ferry services. 
Public and private offices will open today after three-day Eid holiday combined with two-day weekend. 
People, especially service holders, were seen to reach Dhaka by launches, trains and buses on Saturday as government offices reopen today.
New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that ferry service on Shimulia-Kathalbari route was severely disrupted since Friday night for lack of navigability. 
On Friday night, ferry service on the route was suspended as two ferries got stuck in sandbar, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation manager (Shimulia terminal) Gias Uddin Patwary. 
On Saturday, two out of total 19 ferries were seen to carry vehicles on the route while the Ro Ro ferries did not operate. 
Till 5:00pm on Saturday, more than 500 vehicles, mostly long route buses and cars, remained stranded in long queues in Shimulia ferry terminal area to be ferried cross the River Padma. 
From the Kathalbari end, a huge number of Dhaka-bound passengers were seen to come by overloaded launches. 
Since Saturday morning small vehicles were seen to be carried by ferries while buses and goods-laden trucks were requested to avoid the route and use the Paturia-Daulatdia route instead, said the terminal officials. 
The disruption in the ferry service continued since before the Eid while shipping ministry in a release on August 12 urged heavy vehicles to avoid Shimulia-Kathalbari route citing navigability problem.
Frustrated passengers and transport workers said the authorities should have taken initiative to dredge the route beforehand. 
BIWTC official Gias Uddin Patwary said as the service was off at night, a huge number of vehicles gathered there to cross the river. 
Goods-laden trucks returned for lack of ferries while all ferries would not operate until the navigability problem would end, he added. 
Since morning, crowded trains reached Dhaka.
But most of the trains on northern routes were way behind schedule as they were since before Eid. 
On Saturday, Rangpur express on Dhaka-Rangpur route was late by seven hours as it started from Dhaka at 4:05pm instead of scheduled 9:00am. On Friday, the train was late by five hours. 
Silk City express on Dhaka-Rajshahi and Ekota express on Dhaka-Dinajpur routes were late by three hours while Nilsagar express on Dhaka Cantonment-Chilahati route was late by two hours and a half. 
Many people were seen at Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Saidabad bus terminals after coming back to Dhaka. 
Passengers on different routes alleged that transport operators charged extra on their way back to Dhaka. 
Crowds of people returning to Dhaka by launches were seen at Sadarghat terminal, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority officials. 
Till 6:00pm, more than 90 launches came to Dhaka, BIWTA joint director (traffic) at Sadarghat office Alamgir Kabir said.
Launch, train and long-route bus operators said that the rush of return journey would peak today but it would continue throughout the coming week.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net