Passengers crossing Paturia Ghat on ferries carrying ambulances

Passengers in the Paturia-Daulatdia route are crossing the river on small ferries running for carrying ambulances as the government has suspended the general ferry services due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

The authorities have allowed one or two small ferries operational which leave Paturia for Daulatdia every one and a half hours for ambulances carrying dead bodies.

On Tuesday morning, passengers hustled to get onto these small ferries to cross the river.

Photo: Khandaker Sujan Hossain

Even though the ferry services had been suspended since the start of the lockdown, authorities changed their decision on Monday afternoon. However, the services were suspended again only after a few hours.

A Magura-bound passenger named Jui Akhter said, "Every year we go home during Eid. The suffering for ferries and roads is not new, we go home every Eid in this way."

Garment worker Sohag said, "The suffering of the poor is lifelong. Those who have private cars have no problem. No one stops those who are travelling via planes. Only the poor suffer. So, there is no alternative but to accept all these hardships."

Photo: Khandaker Sujan Hossain

Shibalaya Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Firoz Kabir said, "Passengers from different districts of the southwest have been gathering in the ghat area since dawn. These passengers are crossing the navigable route with the ambulances carrying dead bodies."

However, he said that no ferry was running with only passengers.

Zillur Rahman, DGM, Aricha office, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, said, "Only two-thirds of the ferries are running on the route for emergency services. The homebound passengers are going home on Eid on these ferries."