Ferry diverted from mid-river to pick up MP, passengers angry

There have been allegations that a ferry leaving on the Hatia-Nalchira waterway in Noakhali carrying passengers and freight vehicles was diverted mid-way and brought back to Chairman Ghat. Passengers and people associated with the ghat have claimed that the authorities took this decision to ferry Abdul Hannan Masud, MP from Noakhali-6 constituency.

The incident took place on the 'Mahananda' ferry leaving from Chairman Ghat for Nalchira on Saturday, July 11 afternoon. After traveling some distance in adverse weather, the ferry suddenly turned around and headed towards the ghat, creating anxiety and anger among the passengers.

According to the ferry's marine engineer Sajjadul Islam, the MP's arrival at the pier was reported about 10 minutes after the ferry left. Later, on the instructions of the manager, the ferry was taken back to Chairman's pier. He claimed that the MP had contacted the ferry manager.

Eyewitnesses and people involved in the pier said that the ferry started its journey at around 3:30 pm as scheduled with passengers and goods. About 20 minutes later, Abdul Hannan Masud reached the pier by car. By then, the ferry had gone quite a distance from the pier.

Then, the ferry was diverted from the Meghna River and brought to Chairman's pier. After the MP and his companions boarded the ferry, it set off again towards Nalchira. It usually takes one and a half to two hours for the ferry to reach its destination on this waterway.

The pier lessor's representative Md. Zahir Uddin also admitted that the ferry was brought back. He said that although there was some confusion about the ferry's departure time, it returned to the pier to pick up the MP about 20 minutes after the start of the journey. He also claimed that such an incident had not happened before after the ferry was launched on the Hatiya waterway.

However, MP Abdul Hannan Masud gave a different statement. He said that he needed to go to Hatiya for urgent government work. He claimed that he reached the pier within a minute of the ferry leaving and the ferry had not gone very far. He also alleged that a group was spreading misleading information about the incident.

Some passengers on the ferry at the time of the incident said that they were already worried due to the adverse weather. They were panicked when the ferry started moving in the opposite direction without any clear announcement midway through the journey. Later, many expressed anger after learning about the return to the pier to pick up the MP.

The passengers alleged that it is unacceptable to put the time and safety of ordinary passengers at risk for the convenience of a public representative. According to them, the ferry's scheduled time and passenger service rules should be followed equally for everyone.

It was not immediately known whether any investigation has been launched by the ferry authorities or the relevant government agency into the incident. There are also differences in the accounts of parliamentarians, officials and eyewitnesses regarding how long the ferry had been on the move before it returned.