Dhaka, Sept. 18 -- A ferry loses power in the middle of the Padma River. The current begins carrying it downstream. For the passengers on board, there is another problem -- many say they have little idea about what they are supposed to do next.

A recent breakdown on the busy Daulatdia-Paturia route has brought those concerns back into focus, with passengers questioning whether enough is being done to prepare them for an emergency.

Thousands of people and hundreds of vehicles cross the Padma on the route every day. But passengers say they had received no guidance on where to find life jackets, how to use them or what to do if a ferry ran into trouble mid-river.

The concerns intensified after the Ro-Ro ferry "Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman"...