20-km tailback on Dhaka-Chittagong highway

Hundreds of passengers have been suffering on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway due to heavy rush of vehicles on the highway ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

The Chittagong-bound vehicles were seen stuck for around 20-kilometre on the highway stretching from Kanchpur to Meghna Bridge while a six-kilometre long tailback was seen from Meghna-Gomti toll plaza to Shaheednagar of Comilla’s Daudkandi.

The tailback ensued after a vehicle broke down on Meghna bridge around 3:00am today, said Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Highway Police Station.

The Dhaka-bound vehicle were moving too slowly on the highway from Gazaria to Meghna bridge.

It took two hours to pass this three-kilometre distance, Khandarkar Russel, a passenger of a Dhaka-bound bus, said.  

Another goods-laden ten-wheeler truck, heading for Dhaka, turned turtle on the highway that halted traffic in Kanchpur since this morning, Kaium Ali Sardar, officer-in-charge of Kanchpur Highway Police Station, said.

Thousands of passengers have been suffering immensely on the highway since the morning.

The rise in the number of vehicles carrying Eid holiday makers on the highway and huge rush of goods-laden trucks, covered vans, pick-ups and lorries caused the tailback.

According to roads and highway ministry, all goods carrying vehicles will be forbidden from 12am tomorrow to reduce the sufferings of home going passengers.

Source: thedailystar