A ban has been imposed on plying commercial vehicles on the Sela River route in Sundarbans.
The route will remain closed until further notice is issued.
The decision was taken in a meeting held at Mongla Port office on Thursday afternoon. BIWTA chairman, forest department officials and representatives of local administration attended the meeting.
Earlier in the day, authorities decided to shut the route for three days.
BIWTA Chairman Md Shamsuddoha Khandaker said three days are not enough for removing oil from the river. "So the route will be closed for commercial vessels until further notice."
They also directed the commercial vessels to use alternative route in these days. The vessels are to follow Mongla-Poshur Channel-Kokilmoni-Akram Point route.
In the meeting, BIWTA Chairman Md Shamsuddoha Khandaker proposed that locals can collect the floating oil from the river and sold those to the Padma Oil Depot. But, divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans east zone Amir Hossain Chowdhury opposed the proposal.
However, the decision was later finalised on majority views.
In the meantime, the sunken oil tanker was rescued from Sela River in the Sundarbans, 55 hours after it capsized with more than 350,000 litres of furnace oil.