River transport services resume after halt

River transport services across the country have resumed after being suspended for two days due to Cyclone Yaas. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority shut operations from 4:30 pm on Tuesday as the cyclone brewed in the Bay of Bengal.

Warning signal No. 2 is still being hoisted due to the storm, said Mizanur Rahman, deputy director of BIWTA.

However, the authorities have allowed two-engine vessels to operate cautiously from 11:30 am on Thursday. Launch operations resumed on Monday after a seven-week pause due to the coronavirus. But it was shut again on Tuesday.

A powerful cyclone hit eastern India on Wednesday, forcing the closure of the busiest regional airport in Kolkata, as it brought storm surges to coastal areas. Although the storm did not hit Bangladesh directly, strong winds and tidal surges pummelled parts of the coastal districts.