Play store
A ferry carrying passengers and goods on the Hatiya–Nolchira route in Noakhali was allegedly ordered to turn back mid-river to pick up Noakhali-6 (Hatiya) MP Abdul Hannan Masud, triggering widespread criticism from passengers.
The incident took place on Saturday afternoon after the ferry had left Chairman Ghat for Nolchira Ghat.
Ferry marine engineer Sajjadul Islam confirmed the incident, saying the vessel returned to the terminal about 10 minutes after departure on the instruction of the ferry manager.
“After the ferry left, we were informed that the MP was on his way. The manager called and instructed us to return after receiving a phone call from the MP,” he said.
According to witnesses and ghat sources, the ferry Mahananda departed Chairman Ghat at around 3:30 pm with passengers and cargo.
About 20 minutes later, MP Abdul Hannan Masud arrived at the terminal and requested that the ferry be brought back so he could board.
The ferry reportedly turned around in the Meghna River, returned to the ghat, and resumed its journey to Nolchira after the MP and his supporters boarded.
The crossing between Chairman Ghat and Nolchira Ghat normally takes one and a half to two hours.
Responding to the allegations, MP Masud said he was travelling to Hatiya on official government business.
“I am a member of parliament. It was urgent for me to travel to Hatiya on government duty. The ferry had not gone very far from the terminal. I reached the ghat within a minute of its departure. A vested group is spreading misinformation over the incident,” he said.
Md Zahir Uddin, a representative of the ferry terminal leaseholder, confirmed that the ferry returned about 20 minutes after departure to pick up the MP.
He described it as the first such incident since ferry services were introduced on the Hatiya route.
Several passengers, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed anger over the decision. They said they were already anxious due to rough weather and became alarmed when the ferry suddenly turned back.
They alleged that forcing the ferry to return solely to pick up an MP caused unnecessary inconvenience to ordinary passengers and reflected an abuse of power.