Launch services resume on Paturia–Daulatdia route after 13-hour halt

Strong Padma current damages ramps at a temporary terminal, forcing suspension until alternative site opens

Launch operations on the Paturia–Daulatdia river route have resumed 13 hours after being suspended due to damage to ramps at a temporary terminal caused by the strong current of the Padma River.

The service restarted at 7:30am on Saturday from Karuitola, beside the ferry terminal No. 1 in Manikganj’s Paturia, launch terminal manager Panna Lal Nandi said.

Authorities had halted traffic at 6:30pm Friday, cutting off launch links between 21 southwestern districts and the rest of the country.

Nandi said Tuesday’s riverbank erosion at Paturia destroyed the main jetty, forcing launches to operate from a pontoon at terminal No.2.

On Friday evening, one ramp’s cable snapped and it sank, while soil erosion under another ramp made it unusable.

“Any moment, that ramp’s cable could also snap, so we moved the launches to safety,” he said.

The Karuitola site has no pontoon, and passenger boarding is difficult, Nandi added.

“We need a permanent terminal urgently. Without it, the launch services on this route will be shut down.”