UNB :
Hundreds of vehicles and commuters got stuck for hours in a 25-kilometer long tailback on Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Tuesday due to repair work of Langalbandh Bridge in Narayanganj district.
Mohammad Maniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Narayanganj Highway Police said the gridlock stretched from Shanir Akhra to Daudkandi in Cumilla.
“The gridlock was caused by heavy pressure of goods-laden vehicles and others on Sonargaon-Nabiganj route. We are trying our best to ease the movement of vehicles,” he said.
On Sunday, Roads and Highways Department asked motorists to avoid Langalband Bridge on the highway for three days due to its repair work starting on Monday.
Light vehicles were asked to use Mograpara-Kaikartek Bridge-Nabiganj-Madanpur route and heavy vehicles to take Kanchpur-Bhulta-Narsingdi-Bhairab Bridge-Sarail-Brahmanbaria-Cumilla as alternative routes during the period.
The Langalband Bridge will be fit for the movement of vehicles after 12 pm on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has decided to ease all lockdown restrictions in the country for eight days ahead of Eid ul Azha.
In a notification on Tuesday morning, the cabinet division said that the lockdown restrictions will be lifted from July 14 midnight to the morning of July 23.
However, strict restrictions will resume from July 23 and will continue till August 5, as per the order. Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Bangladesh Railway is going to restore its passenger train services for eight days from July 15-22 across the country, keeping 50% of the seats empty apparently to facilitate the movement of people during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
Public transport services and business institutions will also be allowed to function.
Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on July 21 amid the Delta variant of Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the country, shattering records everyday.
A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown suspending all outdoor activities unless there’s an emergency.
