The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Friday stopped carrying passengers and private cars by ferries aiming to stem the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
Now ferries were carrying emergency service vehicles, goods-laden trucks and ambulances by maintaining strict health safety guidelines during the countrywide strict lockdown.
The government enforced a weeklong countrywide strict lockdown from July 1 which was later extended until July 14to help curb further spread of coronavirus infections.
Public transports are not allowed to ply the roads with the closure of shopping malls and markets except for kitchen markets operating for certain hours during the lockdown.
Despite the lockdown, many people were going to their home districts by ferries until Thursday last.
A BIWTA official said, "As Eid-ul-Azha is nearing, the city people are very desperate to go to their respective village home for celebrating the religious festival."
BIWTA has enforced restrictions on carrying passengers and private cars by ferries to stop this trend, he added.
