BIWTC liner stranded on Meghna since Tuesday
Both engines of MV Alauddin went out of order on first trip after repair
Our Correspondent, Barisal
BIWTC passenger liner MV Alauddin which left Chittagong Monday for Barisal is stranded on the Megnha in Ramgati area of Naokhali district since Tuesday afternoon with several hundred passengers on board as its engine are out of order.The ship, after about seven months' repair and renovation at a dockyard in Chittagong, left Chittagong at 9 am on Monday on its first trip to Barisal. After sailing 90 kilometres in the sea safely, the ship entered the Sandwip Channel where both its engines went out order. One of the engines was somehow reactivated after about seven hours' repair and it started cruising slowly towards Barisal. But it again went out of order when the ship reached Bangali area in Noakhali Tuesday afternoon. It was stranded there on the Meghna, according to the latest message received by BIWTC officials in Barisal at about 1 pm yesterday. Engineers were sent from Barisal yesterday morning to repair the engine, BIWTC officials told this correspondent. The officials could not say when the ship would arrival Barisal and how many passengers were on board. "We have cancelled its next scheduled trip to Chittagong from Barisal", one official said. The ship, plying the Chittagong-Barisal route, touches many points including Sdwandip, Rangamati and Char Alexander. MV Alauddin had gone out of order in October last year. After three months' repair it was again put into service in December. It again went out of order only after two trips and was sent to a dockyard in Chittagong on December 26 for repair. Another BIWTC passenger ship--MV Motin-- also ply the Chittagong-Barisal route.
| 
