20-km tailback on Dhaka-Tangail highway

Heavy rain has triggered a 20-kilometer tailback on the Dhaka-Tangail highway, stranding thousands of travelers heading home for Eid. 

The congestion stretches from Konabari in Gazipur to Chandra in Kaliakair, with vehicles barely moving amid torrential rain.

Travelers set out Wednesday afternoon, facing both severe weather and gridlocked roads. The situation worsened at night as a shortage of buses forced many passengers to return home, planning to resume their journey Thursday morning.

As of 8;00 am on Thursday, traffic remained heavily congested, with additional bottlenecks extending from Chandra toward Nabinagar. Many early-morning travelers were caught near Mouchak and Shafipur after passing Konabari.

Shahina Akter, traveling to Rangpur, said, “I left for Rangpur after Iftar on Wednesday, but heavy rain and traffic prevented me from boarding a bus, so I returned home. After Sehri today, I resumed my journey. It took two hours to reach Chandra Mor from Bhogura Bypass, and I am unsure about the condition of the rest of the route.”

Buses that departed for northern Bangladesh Wednesday evening could not return to Dhaka or Gazipur by Thursday morning, causing a temporary shortage of public transport.

Shahidul Islam, Organisational Secretary of the Gazipur Road Transport Owners’ Association, said, “Evening buses reached their destinations only by morning. After noon, these buses will not return to Gazipur, temporarily reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. Congestion is causing delays in buses reaching their destinations on time.”

At Chandra Mor, many buses, including reserved services, queue for passengers, further contributing to the tailback.

Md Amzad Hossain, Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said that the fourth phase of garment factory holidays begins on Thursday, with 833 factories announcing leave.

Gradual factory closures have helped reduce congestion, allowing travelers to move more smoothly.

Naojor Highway Police officer-in-charge Sawgatul Alam said that while rain temporarily disrupted traffic, law enforcement teams are actively managing congestion.

On the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, traffic was clear on Thursday morning. Congestion caused by Wednesday evening’s rain from Tongi to Chandana Chourasta cleared before dawn.

Some travelers reported that local buses and auto-rickshaws were charging extra fares due to rain and limited transport. Following intervention by the Gazipur District Administration, several transport providers were fined, restoring normalcy on the roads.

Aminul Islam/MHK