Ferry services on the Shimulia-Kathalbari route have been suspended due to poor navigability. The route is on the Padma River in Lauhajang upazila under Munshiganj district.
The transport service was suspended in the early hours of Monday.
Mawa traffic outpost Inspector Md Siddiqur said around 500 vehicles are waiting at the ferry terminal and thousands of passengers are stranded.
Some light ferries attempted to cross the channel in the morning, but they had to return as they could not complete the journey. Some vehicles even returned to Dhaka after assessing the situation.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) suspended the ferry service around 12am after ferry operators expressed concern over the navigability of the route, said BIWTA Assistant General Manager Khandaker Shah Khaled Newaz.
BIWTA Marine Officer Md Ali said the channel has only three feet of water, with the minimum navigable depth for ferries being seven feet.
The river is currently being dredged so as to restore a navigable depth.
Earlier, on Sunday, BIWTA advised heavy ships not to travel on that route.
