After Three and a Half Years' Hiatus
Kazirhat-Paturia ferry service resumes today
The pontoon at Kazirhat ferry terminal gets ready for operation as ferry service on Kazirhat-Paturia route is set to resume today, after a hiatus of over three and a half years.Photo: STAR
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) will resume ferry service on Kazirhat-Paturia route today (Friday), after a hiatus of three and a half years. Even before permanent stoppage of the ferry service on the route on January 11 in 2009, it remained suspended most of the time during the previous one and a half years, BIWTC sources said. “Restoration of ferry service on Kazirhat-Paturia route will shorten distance from different northern districts to the capital. It will also help to reduce huge pressure on Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge,” Md Shahadat Hossain, deputy General manager of BIWTC at Aricha, told this correspondent yesterday. Although ferry service in the country's one of the leading river routes started on different occasions, it stopped due to the poor presence of vehicles, he said. “Over 100 km distance would be reduced if a truck goes to Dhaka from Pabna and other northern districts through Kazirhat-Paturia route. At least 60 to 70 litter of fuel worth Tk 2500 to 3000 would be saved for each goods carrying truck on this route,” said Abul Hossain Khan Mohon, president of Northern Region Truck Owners Association. “We have demanded arranging sufficient ferries on Kazirhat-Paturia route as over a thousand trucks, most of them carrying raw goods, move to the capital everyday. There were 12 ferries on Kazirhat-Paturia route when the ferry service stopped in 2007," Mohon said. "Primarily the BIWTC has arranged two K-type ferries 'Kaberi' and 'Kopoti', each having capacity to carry 10 to 12 trucks, for plying this route from tomorrow [Friday]. The number of ferries will be increased if we get sufficient response from the truckers," said BIWTC DGM Shahadat Hossain. Md Abdul Jalil, manager of Kazirhat ferry terminal, said, "The trial for operation has been done today [Thursday]. Planning Minister AK Khandaker will inaugurate the ferry service tomorrow [Friday]. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan and State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku will also be present as guests at the inaugural function.''
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