Most of the outgoing or incoming passengers are facing long delays or remain even stranded at the launch and bus terminals and airports.

Nearly 15,000 passengers on at least 300 buses were stranded at Daulatdia and Paturia ferry terminals as dense fog prevented ferries from crossing the Jamuna and Padma rivers.

A ferry carrying over 1,200 passengers was also stuck in the middle of the river due to the foggy weather, our Manikganj correspondent reports.

The passengers suffered amid claims by some ferry masters that the authorities did not pay heed to their persistent demands for improving ferry services, UNB adds.

Meanwhile, as more passengers switched from buses to launches in order to avoid the log jam at ferry terminals, south-bound launches were experiencing seven-to-eight-hour delays at Sadarghat.

The switch from road to river transport left a large number of passengers stranded as the launches were already packed with passengers returning from Eid vacation, said Shahabuddin Milon, vice-president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passengers' vessels) Association.

At least three aircraft were diverted to Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport as they failed to land at Zia International Airport, reports our staff correspondent in Chittagong.

Three international flights were delayed by even 18 hours, while two domestic flights of Biman were cancelled due to poor visibility. Another domestic flight of GMG Airlines was also delayed, informed ZIA flight inquiry.

Two of the Biman's diverted flights were carrying hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia and the other came from Rome.

An airport official told The Daily Star they are struggling to cope with flight delays and diversions due to unfavourable weather conditions.