Ferry services resume on Shariatpur-Chandpur route after 7hr strike

Ferry services on the Shariatpur-Chandpur river route resumed this noon (14 November) after a seven-hour suspension following the conditional withdrawal of a strike by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Master Welfare Association.

The first ferry, Gouri, departed from Narsinghpur Ferry Terminal in Shariatpur for Chandpur around 12pm, carrying 17 vehicles. Other ferries subsequently resumed operations, allowing vehicles stranded at the terminals to begin crossing the river.

Iqbal Hossain, manager of BIWTC’s Narsinghpur Ferry Terminal, confirmed that ferry operations had resumed following the withdrawal of the strike. Vehicles waiting at the terminal were being transported across the river in phases.

The resumption brought relief to passengers and drivers who had been waiting for hours.

The association decided to withdraw the strike following discussions with the BIWTC chairman, who assured them that their demands would be addressed.

The association also warned that it would enforce another indefinite strike from tomorrow (15 November) if Master Mosharraf Hossain and another employee, who were detained following a ferry accident, were not released on bail by today.

Earlier, yesterday morning (13 November), a ferry collided head-on with a sand-laden bulkhead on the Shariatpur-Chandpur route, killing eight-year-old Tarikul Islam and injuring two other children.

Authorities subsequently seized the bulkhead allegedly involved in the accident and detained three people, including BIWTC Master Mosharraf Hossain.

Protesting the incident and the detention of their colleagues, the BIWTC Master Welfare Association called an indefinite strike from 6am on Saturday, halting ferry services on the route.

The suspension left various vehicles, including goods-laden trucks and passenger buses, stranded at Narsinghpur Ferry Terminal. Drivers transporting perishable goods were particularly affected, while passengers and vehicles travelling from the southern region towards Chattogram also faced significant difficulties.

Abdur Rab, vice-president of the BIWTC Master Welfare Association, said the strike had been temporarily withdrawn following assurances from the authorities regarding their demands.

He warned that the association would announce another strike if the detained employees were not released on bail within the stipulated time.

The Shariatpur-Chandpur river route is one of the key transport links connecting 21 districts in the south-western region with the Chattogram region.

Five ferries operate on the route daily to transport vehicles. Any disruption to the service causes significant inconvenience to passengers and hampers the movement of transport and goods-carrying vehicles between the two regions.