Long tailbacks on major highways

Hundreds of passengers were stuck in tailbacks on the Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Mawa and Dhaka-Tangail highways due to a huge pressure of vehicles just ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.

On Dhaka-Tangail Highway, there was traffic congestion at different points of the highway on a 70-kilomtre stretch from Chandra of Gazipur to Bangabandu Bridge in Tangail from Thursday night to Friday noon, causing immense sufferings to the holidaymakers.

The traffic congestion was created mainly due to a huge pressure of vehicles leaving capital Dhaka ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, our Tangail correspondent reports quoting Saikat Shahin, additional superintendent of Tangail Police.

The tailback was further worsened after a tree fell on the Bangabandhu Bridge East Link Road at Char Bhabla in Kalihati upazila around midnight due to a storm, the official said

Fire Service and Civil Defense personnel removed the tree after two hours but in the meantime a long tailback was created on both sides of the road, the official added.

On the Dhaka-Aricha highway, a 10-km long tailback started last night and stretched all the way from Dhamrai Thana Stand to Shreerampur area, our Savar correspondent reports quoting police and passengers.

However, the pressure started to ease around 11:00am as vehicles started to move slowly, the correspondent reports quoting Rejaul Haque, officer-in-charge of Dhamrai Police Station.

Yousuf Anwar, a Paturia bound passenger told to The Daily Star that he boarded his bus around 4:00am and reached Paturia around 11:00am.

“We were stuck in a long tailback from Dhamrai Thana Stand to Shreerampur area and it took us around four to five hours to pass the area,” the passenger added.

The tailback was created due to heavy pressure of vehicles, the correspondent reports quoting Rejaul Haque.

On the Dhaka-Mawa highway, a 30-km tailback was created today due to heavy pressure of vehicles and construction work on the expressway, causing immense sufferings to commuters, reports UNB.

There was huge pressure of vehicles on the highway from Tegharia of Keraniganj in Dhaka to Mawa as thousands of people were heading for their respective village homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones.

Besides, the construction of the four-lane Dhaka-Mawa Expressway from Tegharia to Mawa intersection has aggravated the situation.

Vehicles were seen moving slowly through an alternative road at Bhuchit in Sreenagar upazila as a bridge is being constructed over the highway.

HM Alamgir, officer-in-charge of Sreenagar Police Station, said adequate police have been deployed in important points of the highway to help ensure smooth journey of the homebound people.

Meanwhile, 500 vehicles were stranded on Shimulia ghat for crossing the Padma River.