City-Bound People Suffer for 9 km Gridlock at Daulatdia

On the last day of the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, people in the southwest have started returning to their workplaces. This has increased the pressure on private vehicles and passenger transport on the Daulatdia-Paturia route. Severe misery has been created at the Daulatdia ferry terminal since Friday night. Eid holidaymakers are facing huge suffering as they are to wait 8/9 hours to cross the river.

Visiting the Daulatdia Ghat area on Saturday (May 7) morning, it has been seen that there were rows of passenger buses and private vehicles up to 9 km on the Dhaka-Khulna highway from Zero Point of the ferry terminal. In addition, there is a long line of trucks transporting perishable goods along the two-and-a-half km section of the Dhaka-Kushtia regional highway at Goalanda junction, 13 km away.

According to the BIWTC authorities, 21 small and large ferries are plying the Daulatdia-Paturia route for passengers and vehicles to cross the river.

Tapu, a passenger of the Saudi bus from Benapole, said, "I came last night and stood at the dock." I haven't been able to get on the ferry yet. The ferry doesn't seem to be running fast enough. Suffering from traffic jams for a long time.

Arefin, the supervisor on the Suvarna bus, said he arrived at 8 a.m. on Friday; it is 8 o'clock in the morning. Couldn't get on the ferry. The traffic jam lasted for 12 hours. I can't say how long it will take to get the ferry. Passengers have all become restless.

Prafulla Chauhan, assistant manager of BIWTC's Daulatdia branch, said the traffic has increased as it is the last day of the holiday. All the ferries are running. We are trying to keep the load-unloading of the wharf clear so that the ferry trip does not decrease.