Fog disrupts communications
Dense fog coupled with bitter cold has disrupted movement of all modes of transport across the country in the last two days, causing immense sufferings to passengers.
Ferry services remained stalled for hours and launches anchored mid-river, and bus and train trips were delayed.
A cold spell has been sweeping the country since December 24.
The weather is likely to stay the same for two to three more days in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Satkhira, Kushtia, Rangamati, Chittagong, Comilla, Barisal and Faridpur, according to the Met office.
The density of fog may decrease from midnight today to next morning.
Yesterday’s lowest temperature was recorded eight degrees Celsius in Tangail and highest 25 degrees Celsius in Cox’s Bazar. Dhaka’s temperature was 10.5 degrees Celsius.
Ferry services on Mawa-Kawrakandi and Paturia-Daulatdia routes resumed early yesterday after a six-hour break due to dense fog on the Padma.
The number of launch trips between Dhaka and different coastal areas has come down to around half the usual, said Badiuzzaman Badal, senior vice-president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways Association.
Many buses were stranded for hours at ferry terminals. Buses on Sylhet-Chittagong route took three to four hours more than normal travel time, said Ramesh Chandra Ghosh, managing director of Shyamoli Paribahan.
Most trains ran three to four hours behind schedule due to poor visibility caused by thick fog, said Syed Jahirul Islam, director (traffic) of Bangladesh Railway.
Ferry services in Munshiganj were suspended from 10:00pm Friday to 4:30am yesterday, said Sirajul Haq, manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Mawa.
Six ferries carrying around 100 vehicles were bound to anchor mid-river due to poor visibility.
Over 500 vehicles had to wait at Mawa and Kawrakandi ferry terminals until yesterday morning.
The authorities suspended ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route for six hours from 2:00am yesterday, reports our Manikganj correspondent quoting BIWTC Manager (Commerce) Ashraf Ullah Khan.
As many as 530 vehicles queued at Paturia and 380 at Daulatdia terminals till 8:00am yesterday.
Our Gaibandha correspondent reports: Mohiruddin, 80, of the district’s Gobindapur village died of severe cold on Friday night.
Since Friday evening, around 35 children have been admitted to different hospitals in Gaibandha with cold-related illnesses, according to the district civil surgeon’s office.
The district administration distributed 13,228 blankets among the poor and the destitute.
Dhaka-based Chapainawabganj Samity yesterday distributed 1,000 blankets among the cold-hit poor in the district, our Chapainawabganj correspondent reports.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
