Shimulia sees large crowd a day before Eid
A long queue of cargo trucks stretching for a few kilometres has formed on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway, waiting to get into the ferries.
Thousands of holidaymakers bound for the 21 South-Western districts are flocking to the launch and ferry terminals in Shimulia ignoring the rain since Tuesday morning, ahead of the holy Eid-al-Adha set to be celebrated tomorrow.
Additional law enforcers have been deployed at the docks to maintain order. The authorities are struggling to tackle the large number of passengers, and hygiene guidelines are being largely ignored, sources have said.
Moreover, strong currents in the river Padma and the pressure of public and private transportations at the docks have slowed down ferry services in the Shimulia-Banglabazar route.
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A long queue of cargo trucks stretching for a few kilometres has formed on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway, waiting to get into the ferries.
On the matter, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's (BIWTA) Shimulia River Port officer Shahadat Hossain said, "It is quite normal for the docks to face increasing pressure from holidaymakers during the last two days before Eid.
"Eighty-four launches are transporting people on the Shimulia-Banglabazar and Shimulia-Majirkandi routes."
Faisal Ahmed, assistant manager of Shimulia Ghat, said, "There are currently 15 ferries plying the route and more than 800 vehicles are waiting right now at the dock area. All vehicles will be able to cross the river in multiple phases.
"We have been witnessing a pressure of passengers and motorcycles from the morning. Several ferries had to leave carrying passengers and motorcycles only."
Officer-in-charge of Louhajang Police Station Alamgir Hossain said, "We are trying our best to ensure the safety of the passengers, and to accommodate them according to the available capacity.
"Additional police personnel have been deployed to avert any untoward incidents and maintain order. More than 300 personnel from different law enforcement agencies are patrolling the docks."
Assistant Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Rasel Monir said, "Several ferries were closed during last night due to strong currents in the river, so a lot of vehicles are now waiting in the dock area. The highest number of vehicles on the ferries is motorcycles."
