The Paturia ferry ghat, a major ferry terminal in the country, is facing difficulties as two of its ghats, landing place for ferry remain non-functional.
The ferry system is divided into two parts: one at Daulatdia in Rajbari district and the other at Paturia of Manikganj. Both parts are operated by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).
The BIWTA sources said, there are five ferry ghats at Paturia. Of these, two are not operational. Due to the continuous erosion of the Padma River this year, most of the remaining three ghats have been damaged. While one ghat remains fully functional, the other two operate only partially.
A recent visit revealed that among the other three, ghat 2 and 4 are partially working, while vehicles can only board ferries through ghat 3. Of the closed ghats, ghat 5 is completely nonfunctional, with its pontoon ramps stuck at a high level on one side. The pontoon ramp at ghat 1 is detached from the ground and the connecting road is broken. At ghat 2, a large gap between the pontoon ramp and the connecting road makes vehicle boarding difficult, limiting ferry operations. At ghat 4, the low-water-level section is damaged, causing heavy vehicles to get stuck while boarding. If a vehicle gets stuck at the ramp entrance, other vehicles cannot board until it is removed with a recovery vehicle. Currently, only ghat 3 is fully operational, serving as the sole route for vehicles.
Even following the Padma Bridge, the Daulatdia–Paturia ferry route continues to serve as a key link between Dhaka and country’s 21 southwestern districts. Operational for over sixty years, the route gained significance after the ferries were relocated from Aricha to Paturia in 2002 and continues to facilitate the transport of passengers to and from the southwestern regions.
Ferry authorities reported that in August, the strong currents of the Padma River damaged all the Paturia ghats. At that time, the ghats were lifted and repositioned at upper levels. As the water level dropped, vehicles could no longer board ferries using the upper-level pontoons. With water levels having fallen further, the upper-level pontoons now need to be lowered.
However, source claimed, the front section of the lower-level connecting road has been washed away by the river, preventing proper pontoon placement. Additionally, a 30–40 foot depth has formed beneath the pontoon, making major repairs urgently necessary. Without renovation, four of the ghats cannot operate fully.
BIWTA Executive Engineer Robiul Islam said they have asked for fund to renovate.
“If funds are allocated, full renovation of the ghats will begin. For now, temporary repair work has started on ghats 3 and 4,” he said.
Drivers of various vehicles have told that heightened difficulties as a result of the partial operation of the ghats. Long queues and extended waiting times at the pontoons have increased commuters’ hardships, making the process of boarding ferries slow and stressful.
“The limited number of functional ghats has also disrupted the regular flow of traffic and caused considerable inconvenience for both passengers and transport operators,” said rafiqul Islam, driver of a bus at Kushtia transport service.
Besides, the BIWTC authorities have acknowledged delays in vehicle transportation caused by the ghat conditions.
Deputy General Manager (DGM) Abdus Salam stated that vehicle traffic has decreased compared to before, reducing government revenue.
“BIWTA is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the ferry ghats and has received several letters urging urgent repairs,” he said.
Aman/