Depression in Bay affects water transport

All maritime ports in Bangladesh have been asked to hoist the cautionary signal No. 3 as a depression has formed in the North Bay.

Inclement weather has affected water transport on various routes from Dhaka.

Bangladesh has four sea ports -- Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra.

A special bulletin of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said gusty winds blew in the coastal areas on Monday because of the depression.

The maximum sustained wind speed within 44 kilometres of the depression centre was about 40 kph, rising to 50 kph.

The bulletin said the sea would remain moderate near the depression centre.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Deputy Director (Public Relations) Mobarak Hossain Majumder said river ports in the coastal areas had been asked to hoist the local cautionary signal No. 2.

He told bdnews24.com: “Plying of water vessels up to 75 feet in length has been prohibited in such weather. However, there are no restrictions on the operation of larger launches.”

bdnews24.com Munshiganj Correspondent said the movement of passenger launches and speedboats on the Shimulia-Kawrhakandi route had remained suspended from 2pm on Sunday to 1pm on Monday because of a turbulent Padma.

The ferry service on the route was, however, normal.

Shimulia river port Traffic Inspector Tofazzal Hossain said the operation of small vessels including launches, sea-boats and trawlers had been stopped because of the rough weather.

Launch services on the Chandpur-Narayanganj route also remained suspended on Monday.

bdnews24.com Chandpur correspondent said no launch had left Chandpur for Narayanganj on the day but water vessel service on the Dhaka-Chandpur route was unhampered.

Chandpur river port officer Md Mustafizur Rahman said: “Operation of launches on the Chandpur-Narayanganj route has been suspended at the instruction of the higher authorities.

“The service will remain suspended till the weather became normal.”