Ferry services suspended again on Aricha-Kazirhat route due to navigability crisis

Ferry operations on the Aricha-Kazirhat route have been suspended once again due to severe navigability issues.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) halted the service at 11pm on Friday night, causing significant inconvenience to over 300 truck drivers, helpers, and passengers who are now stranded on both sides of the river.

Truck driver Abdur Rahim, who arrived at Aricha ghat from Narayanganj en route to Rajshahi, shared his frustration: “I’ve been waiting here since Friday evening, and it’s now 11:30am on Saturday. With the ferry service suspended, I am considering taking an alternative route. We prefer this waterway because the crossing is usually comfortable and convenient, but now we’re in real difficulty.”

BIWTC Aricha ghat manager Abu Abdullah said: “For the past three months, ferries have frequently become stuck on submerged sandbars near Aricha ghat. Despite using six dredgers to maintain the channel, we’ve been unable to ensure proper navigability.

"Each time ferries hit these sandbars, we face delays and risk suspension of services. Continuing operations in such conditions could lead to a major accident, so we have suspended ferry operations from last night to avoid any mishaps. The service will remain closed until navigability is restored,” he added.

This marks the second recent disruption, as ferry operations were also suspended for 37 hours beginning at 10pm on November 1 due to similar navigability issues.