Homebound rush causes traffic jam on Aricha-Kazirhat ferry ghat

People working in different districts are trying to return home, causing traffic jam on the Aricha-Kazirhat ferry ghat on the Jamuna river over the last couple of days.

Aricha-Kazirhat ferry ghat is mostly used for movement of goods-laden trucks but a lot of vehicles are seen stranded on both sides of Aricha and Kazirhat due to the added pressure of private cars and microbuses with homebound passengers.

Md Mahabub Hossain, manager of Kazirhat ferry ghat of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, an entry point of Pabna from Dhaka, said several thousand people were seen at Kazirhat ferry ghat on Sunday and Monday but the pressure of passenger cars has increased from this morning, a day before the "strict lockdown" starts to curb worsening Covid-19 situation.

Thousands of people have been returning home by many engine-run boats or speed boats on the river, said Mirza Hasan Shahid, a retired government officer who is also returning home in Pabna.

Meanwhile, a traffic jam has also been created on the 30-kilometre long road from Bangabandhu Multipurpose Bridge in Sirajganj since midnight on Monday. However, the situation came under control early today.

Officer-in-charge of Hatikumrul Highway Police Station Shahjahan Ali confirmed the huge rush of homebound people.