Mawa ferries resume after 45 hours

The Ro Ro ferry terminal at Munshiganj's Mawa has resumed services after nearly two days.

The terminal became operational around 7pm Thursday, 45 hours after it was closed down , BIWTA Marine Officer Md Shahjahan said.

Confirmed about Mawa terminal's repairs being over, Ro Ro ferry Amanat Shah had started ferrying vehicles since evening from Kewrakandi, on the other side of the river.

More than 500 vehicles including goods laden trucks on each side of the river were stranded for nearly three days after the terminal had shut down when parts of it caved in to river erosion.

BIWTC Assistant General Manager AKM Ashikuzzaman Chowdhury said the situation will not become normal if any of the three operational ferries stop functioning as it would take at least 15 more days to set up the new terminal No. 3.

But five other ferries were not running because of strong currents, said BIWTC Manager Sirajul Haque.

A total of 16 ferries run on the Mawa-Kewrakandi river route.

Sand-filled sacks were thrown on the river bank at the ferry terminal No. 2 and its adjacent areas to prevent erosion. Until now, at least 60 shops and businesses have either been moved out or have been swallowed up by the merciless river.

At least 40 shops and businesses were moved further inland on Thursday.