Barisal port authorities have issued an order to halt the services of small water vessel in all 22 routes from Barisal river port until further orders from Saturday afternoon.
The plying of ML (motor launches less than 65-feet in length) vessels has been halted from the river port starting 2pm.
The step was taken as the weather department asked inland river-port authorities to hoist cautionary weather signal no 2 following the cyclonic storm created over the south-east Bay and adjoining area.
Abul Bashar Mazumdar, deputy director, traffic and marine safety department of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Barisal office, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Small types of river transportation were stopped because the situation might deteriorate as the storm is likely to come nearer.”
The decision was taken as per the instruction of the district disaster management committee, he added.
Triple-decker launches plying on the Barisal-Dhaka route have also been asked to ply maintaining short distances from the river-bank and take immediate safe shelter on the shore in case gusty winds like nor-westers start to blow, the BIWTA officials said.
Ferrys at the Laharhaat-Veduria, Barisal-Bhola, Bhola-Laxmipur and Barisal-Chittagong routes have also been asked to operate cautiously till further orders.