40km Traffic Jam Grips Dhaka-Chittagong Highway

A severe traffic jam on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, triggered by repair work on the Ashariarchar Bridge in Narayanganj, continued late into the night. Thousands of vehicles remained stranded in the Dhaka-bound lane across a stretch of nearly 40 kilometers, from Kutumbpur in Chandina, Cumilla, to the Ashariarchar Bridge in Narayanganj. The congestion, which began around noon on Friday (August 28), remained unchanged on Saturday morning. As of 10:30am Saturday, drivers and passengers were facing severe hardship due to the long queues of vehicles on the highway.

According to Roads and Highways Department sources, a large pothole developed on part of the Dhaka-bound lane of the Ashariarchar Bridge. Fearing accidents, the Roads and Highways Department began repair work there around 11am on Friday. During the work, one of the two lanes was closed, while vehicles were allowed to pass through the other lane. As a result, traffic pressure on the highway gradually increased and eventually turned into a massive traffic jam. On Saturday, the situation became even more complicated as the single lane struggled to handle the increased volume of vehicles, with the congestion eventually extending to the Chandina section of Cumilla.
Children, women and elderly passengers trapped in buses have been suffering severely after spending day and night stuck in the traffic for hours. Passengers traveling abroad have been hit particularly hard, with uncertainty mounting over whether they will be able to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in time for their flights.

Karim Ullah, a passenger on a bus that departed from Noakhali and became trapped in the traffic, said, “The vehicle has been standing in the same place since last night. It is unbearable inside the bus because of the intense heat. I am extremely worried about when we will reach Dhaka and whether I will be able to catch my flight.” Highway police have been working on the ground since morning to manage the congestion and restore order on the highway.

Mohammad Faruk, a sub-inspector (SI) of the Elliotganj Highway Police Station, said the Roads and Highways Department was carrying out repair work on the Ashariarchar Bridge. He said the disruption occurred because one of the two lanes had been closed while traffic was being diverted through the other.
“The single lane is unable to handle the excessive traffic pressure, causing the congestion to spread across the highway. We are making continuous efforts to keep traffic moving slowly through the Elliotganj and Chandina sections,” he said.