Drying Paddy on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway Increases Accident Risk

Kamal Atartuk Missel

Farmers in Comilla’s Korpai region, as well as sections of Sitakunda and Mirsarai, have turned to drying freshly harvested paddy on the major Dhaka-Chattogram Highway after weeks of heavy rain threatened to damage their crops. Due to the lack of free yards, farmers are using the hot asphalt by spreading grain across busy traffic lanes. Along the country’s main commerce route, this illegal conduct has significantly reduced the amount of usable road, forcing long-distance transit into single lanes and significantly increasing the danger of deadly accidents.

Drivers and commuters are reporting tremendous risks as tires lose grip on the slippery grain. Resident Md. Firoz Mia said, ‘Braking on the grain causes tires to skid instantly’, noting the area’s high rate of motorbike accidents. While truck drivers emphasised the additional risk of farmers running across roads, bus driver Jasim Mia stressed that travelling over wet paddy may trigger a crash at any time. Tajul Islam, a representative of the transport union, denounced the lack of response from the administration, claiming that officials had been informed about these potentially fatal risks on several occasions.

Executive Engineer Khandakar Golam Mostafa of the Roadways and Highways Department responded by reiterating that it is against the Highway Act of 2021 to occupy roadways for crops and pledging to take concerted action. To provide a safer option, DAE Deputy Director Mizanur Rahman proposed creating drying yards at the local level. Highway Police Superintendent Md. Shahinur Alam Khan observed the serious safety violation, noting that two days of loudspeaker awareness campaigns had been carried out and vowing tighter enforcement efforts to clear the critical roadway.