Shimulia ferry terminal teems with crowds, heath restrictions ignored

Thousands of people have gathered at Munshiganj’s Shimulia ferry terminal after the government lifted restrictions ahead of Eid-ul-Azha despite a deadly surge in coronavirus deaths and infections.

Munshiganj Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 July 2021, 08:20 AM
Updated : 15 July 2021, 08:20 AM

The south-bound passengers were seen breaching health protocols on Thursday, the first day since restrictions were lifted after weeks of lockdown.

Local authorities and law enforcers are struggling to enforce health safety rules with their limited capacity, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Inspector Md Solaiman told bdnews24.com.

“People who came to the port are not heeding the advice to follow health rules despite the risk of catching the coronavirus.”

Police personnel seized two launches named Dalim-2 and Sharmin for carrying excess numbers of passengers, BIWTA official Ahmmad Ali said.

He said 13 of the 17 ferries are operating on the Shimulia-Banglabazar route.