Police have seized six trawlers and their operators for violating travel restrictions on the Shimulia-Banglabazar river route by transporting passengers across the Padma River.
Despite the risks of the pandemic and the travel restrictions, the trawlers tried to ferry passengers across the Padma River near the port at Shimulia to Madaripur’s Banglabazar, Kathalbari or Shariatpur’s Majhikandi, said Mawa River Police Inspector Sirajul Kabir.
Most of the passengers on the trawlers were women and children. Police took the passengers back and detained the trawlers and their sailors, reports bdnews24.com.
Huge crowds have descended on Shimulia port in the past few days as people look to return home for the Eid holidays. The torrent of people has raised concerns about carriers spreading the coronavirus in the midst of a second wave of infections across Bangladesh.
Bangladesh shut daytime ferry services in an effort to control the crowds. Between Sunday evening and Monday morning, 15 ferries travelled the river route. The port was heavily crowded until 3 am.