Chattogram-Sandwip ferry operation
The long awaited Chattogram-Sandwip ferry operation has been launched, bringing long-awaited relief to the 400,000 inhabitants of the river-cut-off upazila.
Brigadier General (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, advisor to the Ministry of Shipping, inaugurated the newly built ferry terminal and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus terminal at Banshbaria in Sitakunda today (24 March) at 8:30 am. Ministry of Shipping has inaugurated the ferry service, which will operate between Banshbaria of Sitakunda Upazila and Guptachara of Sandwip.
Ferry Service Fare List:
General passengers: Tk100
Motorbikes: Tk200
CNG-run auto-rickshaws: Tk500
Vehicles: Tk900
Buses: Tk3,300
Trucks: Tk3,350
Ten-wheelers: Tk7,100
The inaugural tour to Sandwip left at 9 am. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus addressed the ceremony remotely from the Sandwip Upazila Parishad complex.
Several dignitaries attended the inaugural ceremony, including Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Liberation War Affairs and Disaster Management Adviser Farooq E Azam, Education Adviser Professor Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, and Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar.
Aside from the ferry operation, BRTC has introduced an AC bus route covering Chattogram Airport, Sea Beach, Nimtala, Nayabazar, Kumira, Banshbaria Ferry Ghat, and Enam Nahar intersection of Sandwip.
Massive infrastructural development in the form of new roads, parking facilities, and ferry terminals have been established at both terminals to ensure smooth service. A few trial runs were operated before the commencement of the service, bringing an end to years of inability to achieve the route. Buses, trucks, tank lorries, minibuses, and private cars are now able to access Sandwip directly with the new connectivity. The development will certainly improve the standard of living and start economic activities on the island.
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Saleh Noman, who is local and General Secretary of Chattogram Metropolitan Journalists Union, was optimistic regarding the impact of the ferry service. “Sandwip is integrated into the national communication network. It will accelerate development in the upazila and significantly improve the living standard of its inhabitants,” he said.
Md Kamruzzaman the Chattogram’s Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, informed Chattogram that the Chattogram-Sandwip trip would take around an hour and ten minutes. A maximum of four trips a day will be operated, depending on tide conditions, and each will carry around 35 vehicles of varying sizes.
Shamshul Alam Saiful the captain of Kapotaksha, a superior medium-type ferry, gave information about its capacity. “The ferry can carry 600 passengers without vehicles,” he continued.
This long-awaited ferry service will revolutionize travel for the people of Sandwip, leading to increased connectivity, economic development, and a better quality of life.
