With Eid-ul-Fitr coming up in a few days, Daulatdia terminal authorities have begun repairing ferries and terminals to ease holidaymakers' suffering, but this is causing even greater hardships.
Long queues of good-laden trucks were seen waiting to cross the river on Saturday, creating a 4km tailback on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway. Several passenger vehicles were also spotted 14km from the terminal idling in long traffic.
According to terminal authorities, the reason behind these mishaps is that only 17 ferries are currently plying the route instead of 19. On top of that, three of the terminals at Daulatdia are currently operational.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BWITA) closed Terminal No 5 for two hours on Saturday, in response to the rising water level in the Padma river.
However, they said they are letting passenger vehicles and trucks carrying perishable goods cross the river on a priority basis.
Alamgir Hossain, Arifur Rahman, and some other passengers who were waiting to cross the river, said that they had been waiting for almost three hours in the tailback.
They complained that such irregularity is unacceptable ahead of Eid. Authorities must take a look into the matter so homebound travellers do not have to suffer, they added.
Assistant Ternimal manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BWITC) Alim Daiyan, said: “Only 18 ferries are currently operating on the route, and just three terminals are open for the vehicles. Thus, there are long queues on the roads."
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On April 18, Daulatdia-Paturia ferry terminal authorities and the Rajbari district administration decided to take several measures to ease holidaymakers' sufferings, including deploying additional vessels for crossing the Padma River.
A total of 21 ferries and 33 launches will be operational from the terminals for Eid, to reduce the suffering of people who are returning home.