Villagers and relatives found nine more bodies floating near the site of a ferry accident in the river Meghna while the fate of at least 16 other missing people still remained uncertain on Thursday.
The death toll climbed to 122 on Thursday morning. Rescuers recovered 112 bodies until Wednesday evening when the official rescue operation was called off following early Tuesday's crash in the district's Gojaria upazila.
Family members and relatives of more than one dozen missing people were scouring the river for their loved ones on Thursday.
Munshiganj's deputy commissioner Mohammad Azizul Alam told that authorities have also kept their eyes open for the missing as he has a list of 16 people still unaccounted for as provided by their family members and relatives.
The passenger ferry, MV Shariatpur-1, carrying more than 250 passengers capsized early Tuesday after colliding with a cargo vessel.
The sunken ferry was salvaged on Wednesday afternoon and later was towed to the shore.
Rescuers called off their operation after they concluded searching 'every corner' of the salvaged ferry, said police superintendent Mohammad Shahabuddin Khan.
Local Coast Guard commander Ferdous Ahmed said identity of the newly found seven bodies could not be confirmed immediately.
Rescue ship Rustam's commander Fazlur Rahman said the salvaged ferry was now under Gojaria Police Station.
Shariatpur assistant superintendent of police (Naria circle) Mohammad Talebur Rahman told that 41 dead bodies have been handed over to their families and relatives until Wednesday.
Three committees have been formed by shipping ministry, BIWTA and the maritime transport directorate to find out the reasons behind the disaster.
Ferry services on the Mawa-Kewrakandi route remained suspended for at least three hours early Thursday due to dense fog.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation's Mawa manager Sirajul Hoque told ferry operations on the route stopped around 6am Thursday to avoid any accident.
Six ferries had been anchored in the mid-river while five others got stuck in the pier during the suspension.
The halt created long lines of vehicles on both sides.
Sirajul said the ferries resumed services around 9am after the fog eased.
Dense fog disrupted ferry services overnight on Mawa-Kewrakandi and Paturia -Daulatdia routes.
The services resumed after the fog that reduced visibility to near zero wore off Tuesday morning.
Paturia -Daulatdia route observed disruption in operation for 11 hours from 9pm on Monday and Mawa-Kewrakandi for nine hours from 11pm.
Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transportation Corporation's (BIWTC) Daulatdia pier Tanvir Ahmed told that three ferries were stuck at Daulatdia.
Moreover, ferries Birshreshthha Jahangir and Shah Ali were trapped on the way to Paturia in the mid river, Ahmed added.
Four ferries were marooned at the Paturia pier, its manager Bidyut Kumar said.
"The night coaches were stranded at Mawa pier during the disruption of the ferry service on Monday night," manager of BIWTC's Mawa pier, Sirajul Hoque, said.
Long gridlocks developed on the both sides of the route. Ferries Tapul, Ranikhet, Jamuna, Raniganj, Kishori, Karabi were stranded in the middle of the Padma River, he said.
Ferry 'Language Martyr Barkat' , loaded with vehicles, also was stuck at the same time, he added.
Thousands of passengers suffered severely overnight for terrible cold in the mid river.
The gridlocks seemed to ease after the fog was gone.
The services resumed after the fog that reduced visibility to near zero wore off Tuesday morning.
Paturia -Daulatdia route observed disruption in operation for 11 hours from 9pm on Monday and Mawa-Kewrakandi for nine hours from 11pm.
Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transportation Corporation's (BIWTC) Daulatdia pier Tanvir Ahmed told that three ferries were stuck at Daulatdia.
Moreover, ferries Birshreshthha Jahangir and Shah Ali were trapped on the way to Paturia in the mid river, Ahmed added.
Four ferries were marooned at the Paturia pier, its manager Bidyut Kumar said.
"The night coaches were stranded at Mawa pier during the disruption of the ferry service on Monday night," manager of BIWTC's Mawa pier, Sirajul Hoque, said.
Long gridlocks developed on the both sides of the route. Ferries Tapul, Ranikhet, Jamuna, Raniganj, Kishori, Karabi were stranded in the middle of the Padma River, he said.
Ferry 'Language Martyr Barkat' , loaded with vehicles, also was stuck at the same time, he added.
Thousands of passengers suffered severely overnight for terrible cold in the mid river.
The gridlocks seemed to ease after the fog was gone.
Fog has continued to disrupt ferry services on Daulatdia-Paturia route.
Like previous nights, ferry services were hampered for nearly 11 hours until Wednesday morning.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Daulatdia pier assistant general manager Zillur Rahman told that ferry services resumed around 9:30am on Wednesday.
Ferries Shah Paran, Amanat Shah, Shah Jalal and Matiur Rahman got stranded in Daulatdia pier while Khan Jahan, Keramat Ali, Hamidur Shah Ali and Kumari in Paturia pier, leaving hundreds of passengers into severe trouble.
Like previous nights, ferry services were hampered for nearly 11 hours until Wednesday morning.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Daulatdia pier assistant general manager Zillur Rahman told that ferry services resumed around 9:30am on Wednesday.
Ferries Shah Paran, Amanat Shah, Shah Jalal and Matiur Rahman got stranded in Daulatdia pier while Khan Jahan, Keramat Ali, Hamidur Shah Ali and Kumari in Paturia pier, leaving hundreds of passengers into severe trouble.
Ferry services on the two major routes of the country have faced trouble overnight due to dense fog, creating gridlocks on the piers.
In this reason many people faced problen to goto their destination.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Kewrakandi pier manager M A Baten said ferry operation on the Mawa-Kewrakandi route stopped around 11pm on Sunday.
Five ferries anchored in the mid-river that time while five others remained stuck in the pier overnight.
The ferries resumed services around 8:30am on Monday, he added.
BIWTC Paturia pier manager Ashraf Ullah Khan said a ferry got stuck on the pier while five at Daulatdia around 11:30pm on Sunday.
Four other ferries also got stuck in the middle of the river until the fog eased around 8am on Monday, he added.
Pier officials said about 2.5 kilometres of gridlock had been created on the Dhaka-Paturia highway due to the disruption of the ferry services.
In this reason many people faced problen to goto their destination.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Kewrakandi pier manager M A Baten said ferry operation on the Mawa-Kewrakandi route stopped around 11pm on Sunday.
Five ferries anchored in the mid-river that time while five others remained stuck in the pier overnight.
The ferries resumed services around 8:30am on Monday, he added.
BIWTC Paturia pier manager Ashraf Ullah Khan said a ferry got stuck on the pier while five at Daulatdia around 11:30pm on Sunday.
Four other ferries also got stuck in the middle of the river until the fog eased around 8am on Monday, he added.
Pier officials said about 2.5 kilometres of gridlock had been created on the Dhaka-Paturia highway due to the disruption of the ferry services.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation is incurring a loss of about Tk 16 lakh a day for the last one week due to the disruption of ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route in the Padma for poor navigability, BIWTC officials said.
The ferries now carry vehicles less than half their capacity.
A Roll-on Roll-off (Ro Ro) ferry now carries 8-10 vehicles against about 24 it normally ferries. This has forced goods-laden trucks to stand in queues for at least three days, said Abdul Matin, BIWTC deputy general manager at Aricha terminal.
Nine Ro Ro ferries and a K-type one now operating on Paturia-Daulatdia route risk damage to their propulsion systems costing crores of taka, he said.
Asked about dredging the ferry channel, Tarequl Hasan, executive engineer (dredging) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Aricha, said they engaged two dredgers on Sunday night for making a permanent approach channel to Daulatdia terminal. He however said one of the dredgers went out of operation for technical faults Monday morning.
Meanwhile, a K-type (small) ferry carrying nine vehicles ran aground near Daulatdia terminal soon after it sailed in the early hours of Monday.
The vessel was salvaged about nine hours later.
The ferries now carry vehicles less than half their capacity.
A Roll-on Roll-off (Ro Ro) ferry now carries 8-10 vehicles against about 24 it normally ferries. This has forced goods-laden trucks to stand in queues for at least three days, said Abdul Matin, BIWTC deputy general manager at Aricha terminal.
Nine Ro Ro ferries and a K-type one now operating on Paturia-Daulatdia route risk damage to their propulsion systems costing crores of taka, he said.
Asked about dredging the ferry channel, Tarequl Hasan, executive engineer (dredging) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Aricha, said they engaged two dredgers on Sunday night for making a permanent approach channel to Daulatdia terminal. He however said one of the dredgers went out of operation for technical faults Monday morning.
Meanwhile, a K-type (small) ferry carrying nine vehicles ran aground near Daulatdia terminal soon after it sailed in the early hours of Monday.
The vessel was salvaged about nine hours later.
This September 11 file photo shows ferries run aground between Daulatdia and Paturia in the middle of the Padma river causing suspension of ferry service. The bodies, each consisting of six members, have been formed following frequent disruptions in ferry movement on the two routes due to low navigability and hidden shoals in the Padma river, said an official release Monday.
The committee members were asked to stay at their respective ghats until situation on the river route becomes normal.
Engineer Firoz Ahmed, member of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), has been made convener of the taskforce formed to monitor Paturia-Daulatdia route while engineer Gyan Ranjan Shill director (admin) of BIWTA, for Mawa-Kawrakandi route.
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