With Eid-ul-Fitr approaching, a surge of homebound passengers has increased pressure on roads and highways. The situation has been further intensified by the start of holidays in garment factories in Gazipur, adding to the rush of people heading to their village homes.
The impact was evident on the Dhaka-Tangail highway, where a tailback stretching around 10 kilometres was reported at around 4:00am on Wednesday (March 18).
The congestion extended from Chandra intersection to Mouchak in Gazipur, causing severe suffering for drivers and passengers travelling to the northern districts. With no alternative routes available, vehicles remained stuck for long periods. In some areas, traffic moved slowly under police supervision.
Sources said holidays in garment factories in Gazipur began on Tuesday (March 17) and will continue in phases until Thursday. Many factories have granted 10 to 12 days of leave, prompting a large number of workers to travel to their village homes.
On the ground, heavy traffic congestion was observed at the Chandra point of the highway early Wednesday. A long line of vehicles stretched from Chandra intersection to Mouchak, although the stretch from Nabinagar to Chandra remained largely congestion-free.
Traffic moved slowly between Mouchak and Chandra, with vehicles advancing only intermittently. Despite the presence of law enforcement, disorderly parking and passenger boarding by local transport near the Chandra terminal worsened the situation, contributing to the congestion.
Passengers on buses and private vehicles, especially those travelling to northern districts, faced significant hardship.
Shariful Islam, a driver of Shyamoli Paribahan, said he was able to travel smoothly from Gazipur Chowrasta to Mouchak but encountered heavy congestion afterward. “It took nearly an hour to cover just three kilometres,” he said.
Transport worker Bacchu Mia said traffic congestion was being caused by local vehicles creating bottlenecks near the Chandra bus terminal.
A passenger travelling from Gazipur to Rangpur said over the phone that he boarded a bus from Bhogra Peyara Bagan around 2:30am and reached Chandra in about one and a half hours. “The roads were clear, but traffic is stuck at Chandra,” he said.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Naozor Highway Police Station, Saugatul Alam, said traffic pressure remained relatively low during the day but increased at night after some factories closed in the afternoon. He added that as Chandra is a major entry point to the northern region, vehicles from Dhaka also use this route, contributing to the congestion.
He further said police patrols are ongoing at night and that district and metropolitan traffic police are working continuously to ensure a smooth Eid journey for homebound travellers.