Homebound travellers crowd Shimulia ferry port ahead of Eid

Thousands of people have gathered at Munshiganj’s Shimulia ferry terminal as the easing of lockdown restrictions has sparked a mass exodus from Dhaka ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

A long queue of vehicles was seen at the port since early Friday amid a mad rush of homebound travellers.

As many as 80 launches and 13 ferries are operating on the Shimulia-Kewrakandi route but the number of vessels appeared insufficient to handle the load. The vessels are slowing down due to the high tide on the Padma, bdnews24.com's local correspondent reported.

River transport services have been ordered to operate at half capacity but the vessels on the busy Shimulia-Banglabazar waterway, linking Dhaka to the southern districts, are carrying excess numbers of passengers.

Local authorities are yet to take any action against the breach of health restrictions amid the pandemic.

“Vehicles have crammed the port due to the pressure of homebound people ahead of Eid. Four of the 17 ferry services have also been suspended due to strong currents on the Padma,” Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) AGM Md Shafiqul Islam said.

Police along with the local authorities have set up a control room to monitor movement at the port but the people have by and large disregarded the health and safety rules aimed at curbing COVID-19 transmissions. Many were seen without masks.

Hundreds of goods-laden trucks queued up on the expressway outside the Shimulia port. Their wait is getting longer as the authorities are prioritising passenger vehicles.