DHAKA, 11 January 2006 — River, road and air communications were disrupted across Bangladesh yesterday due to poor visibility caused by heavy dense fog across the country causing untold sufferings to thousands of homebound people ahead of Eid Al-Adha.
All vehicles bound for the southwestern region and eastern region from the capital have been advised to use Jamuna Bridge and Lalonshah Bridge as thick fog and adverse weather disrupted ferry services at Aricha and Mawa.
The advice for crossing the rivers came from the Home Ministry in the wake of serious disruption of ferry services due to the fog. The disruption resulted in immense difficulties to homebound travelers on the eve of Eid Al-Adha.
Air communications at Zia International Airport (ZIA) were disrupted due to poor visibility created by dense fog over runways. Airport sources said at least six flights, including international ones, were delayed in their takeoff and arrival from and at ZIA for the rough weather.
Sources at the ZIA control tower said the authorities rescheduled the flights. Four flights of Emirates, Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways and Gulf Air failed to land at ZIA while two flights of Biman could not take off from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m.
In the southeastern port of Chittagong, a container ship floundered and ran aground at the Karnaphuli river mouth on way from the Bay of Bengal to the container-yard at the seaport Monday amid dense fog.
US Opposes Military Intervention
The US administration has disapproved of any military intervention in Bangladesh as a horrible idea despite debilitating political disputes on election issues, but urged both Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League to act responsibly putting interest of the nation above all else.
“No, I do not. Military intervention would be a horrible idea, and I believe that your military knows that”, said Steve Engelken, director of the office of Bangladesh and Pakistan Affairs, during an Internet chat with some Bangladesh journalists on Monday night.
“Democracy takes constant effort by all, if it is to be maintained. We call on both major parties to act responsibly and put the interests of the nation ahead of everything,” he said. He added, “Bangladesh’s friends, including the US, support broad participation in next election which should be free and fair.”
