Joynal Abedin Khan :
The sufferings of the home bound passengers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr were intensified on Wednesday due to torrent rainfall and when hundreds of vehicles got stranded on the highways.
A large number of home bound people have suffered scarcity of vehicles, including auto-rickshaws and rickshaws, to reach bus, train and launch stations.
Although the highways connecting the capital city Dhaka with other major cities are in a relatively good shape, narrow roads, traffic jams, haphazard roadside parking, unplanned stoppages, plying of rundown vehicles and poor traffic management caused traffic mayhems at the exit points, making the journeys agonising at the very beginning.
The passengers are going to their village homes to celebrate Eid despite hazardous journey as most of the highways has remained in a bad shape.
Parts of some highways are still in a sorry state and the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is working to repair those. But the efforts may go in vain if it rains more.
Besides, thenumber of water vessels was not normal due to rough weather. At best 80 vessels out of over
200 left for their destinations in different routes from Dhaka on Wednesday.
On the other hand, the train service was almost normal on different sections following the pre-announced schedule, said, an official of the Kamlapur Railway Station.
Meanwhile, incessant rain in last 36-hour has flooded several parts of the Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Manikganj Highways.
The highways have developed large potholes, which slowed down vehicles and created long tailbacks.
Traffic on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway suffered a blow after a truck lost one of its tyres in Comilla, creating a 45-kilometre long tailback.
The tailback is feared to grow more with the additional pressure of vehicles, said Saiful Islam, In-Charge of Bhaberchar Highway Police Camp in Gazaria.
“The gridlock started around midnight and it was continuing till last night,” he said.
“A truck lost one of its tyre on the Gomti bridge,” said Zubaidul Alam, Officer-in-Charge of Daudkandi highway police. “The capacity of Meghna bridge is low, but traffic is high, and it contributed to the tailback.”
Even, most of the highways of the country have virtually turned into a death trap as they have been seriously damaged at different points due to the last few days heavy rain. At least 40 people died in the road accidents since Tuesday.
The condition of Dhaka-Chittagong Highway has also worsened due to many potholes at various points.
Dhaka-Tangail highway experienced a tailback stretching along a 12-kilometre area from Gazipur’s Chandra to Natiapara in Tangail from Wednesday morning. The traffic movement was still slow while filling of the report at around 10:00pm.
Of the capital’s exit points, the 12-km Uttara-Joydevpur stretch of Dhaka-Mymensingh highway is likely to witness severe traffic chaos, as in the past.
Similarly, Chittagong-bound passengers may face tailbacks at Kanchpur, Sonargaon, Signboard, Madanpur and Sanarpar crossings after passing congestions at Sayedabad and Jatrabari.
Although the two-lane Dhaka-Sylhet highway is expected to provide a smooth journey for the holidaymakers, once they exit the capital, which wouldn’t be easy.
Ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route was limited on Tuesday due to rough weather, said Salahuddin, office secretary of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Aricha ghat.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday warned that stern actions will be taken if anyone charges the home-bound people additional transport fares during Eid journey.
The minister came up with this remark while talking with the reporters after visiting Gabtuli Bus Terminal in the capital to observe the transport situation.
However, some drivers drive vehicles haphazardly which creates traffic jam on the highways, he added.
DIG of Highway Police Mallick Faqrul Islam said that they have taken all necessary measures to prevent road accidents.
He said that highways as the law enforcing agencies have taken all-out preparations to make trips of the home-bound people hassle-free.
