Noakhali ferry delayed two hours awaiting lawmaker, prompting passenger backlash
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A ferry service in Hatiya, Noakhali, was delayed by approximately two hours on Sunday night, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded amid allegations that the vessel was held to accommodate the arrival of a local lawmaker.
According to reports from the area, the ferry ‘Mahananda’ arrived at Nalchira Ghat at 5:45 p.m. following its departure from Chairman Ghat. Under standard operational protocols, the vessel is required to undergo loading and unloading for approximately 75 minutes, which would have necessitated a departure back to Chairman Ghat by 7:00 p.m. However, the ferry remained docked well past this deadline, causing significant distress to passengers who had already boarded.
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Witnesses stated that vehicles were barred from boarding the ferry for an extended period after it was emptied, despite earlier bookings. Passengers reported that they were informed by ferry authorities that the delay was mandatory to await the arrival of Member of Parliament Abdul Hannan Masud. The prolonged wait in stifling heat drew sharp criticism from travelers, particularly those accompanying women and children. Many commuters missed their scheduled connections to long-distance buses bound for Dhaka, forcing them to spend the night waiting at counters in Chairman Ghat, Sonapur, and Noakhali district town.
Ferry master Mozammel Haque acknowledged that the vessel was delayed, noting that staff had been instructed in advance to hold the departure for the lawmaker. While he maintained that the actual delay was closer to 45 minutes, he confirmed that vehicle loading was halted to accommodate the MP’s arrival, which eventually occurred after 8:00 p.m.
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In response to the controversy, MP Abdul Hannan Masud dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. He claimed that a syndicate operating at the ghat deliberately created chaos by refusing to board vehicles, thereby causing traffic congestion and public suffering to undermine his reputation. The lawmaker stated that he reached the ghat on time and was himself forced to wait for 45 minutes before boarding, asserting that the incident was a calculated attempt by vested interests to frame him for the service disruption.
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