A Ro-Ro Ferry named Shahjalal collided with one of the pillars of the under construction Padma Multi-Purpose Bridge on Friday morning in the middle of Padma River in Munsiganj portion and left at least 20 people of the water vessel injured.
Although, the bridge did not sustain serious damages, the collision caused severe damages to the Ferry, said officials of the Padma Multi-Purpose Bridge and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).
Meanwhile, the BIWTA authority suspended Abdur Rahman, the in-charge of the ferry- Shahjalal, for the accident.
Officials said that the incident took place when the Ro-Ro ferry Shahjalal was crossing the Padma River under the bridge near Mawa area of Munshiganj at 9:00am.
They said, though the front part of the vessel has been mangled, there was no structural damage to the bridge. All the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals.
Assistant General Manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport and Communication, Shafiqul Islam said that the passengers fell over each other as the ferry hit the pillar.
"Some 33 vehicles that the ferry was carrying also sustained minor damages in the impact of the crash, which completely destroyed the pantry area of the vessel," he said.
Master of the ferry, Abdur Rahman, said the steering wheel got dislocated as the vessel's electrical circuit suddenly broke down and strong river current triggered the crash.
The bridge authority has expressed concern as three ferries have collided with the pillars this month so far.
Meanwhile, Md Jahangir Alam Khan, Senior Information Officer of the Ministry of Shipping, said that Master Abdur Rahman, in-charge of the ferry, has been suspended and a committee has also been formed to probe the incident.