Noman Mosharef :
People of the country, specially the government employees’ are going to enjoy a nine-day holiday during this year Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslim community.
Ahead of the Eid, people from various corners in Dhaka city have started leaving for native homes to celebrate Eid with their loved ones.
Like previous years, people of northern region have faced suffering on road as the constructions on Dhaka-Rangpur Highway still remain unfinished.
Moreover, the rush of homebound travelers would gain momentum, particularly on March 27 and 29, northbound passengers may experience traffic congestion unless proper traffic management measures are ensured.
Ongoing construction work on the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, and the expansion of the Dhaka-Rangpur may lead to further congestion if adequate police presence is not ensured.
Additionally, any potential road blockades by groups, particularly garment workers, could worsen the situation during the Eid rush, said transport leaders.
The Eid holiday will start from Friday. More than 1 crore people are likely to leave the capital and surrounding areas to celebrate the festival at their homes.
But lengthy expansion of the Dhaka-Rangapur highway from Elenga of Tangail and pressure of passengers at Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur industrial belts often cause traffic congestion, resulting in suffering to the home-goers.
The work of the Dhaka-Rangpur highway saw 82 precent progress and the project authority said they managed to open four lanes on the entire corridor with service lanes and bridges.
But, two points remain vulnerable to road congestion: one on the Jamuna Bridge and Gobindaganj in Gaibandha, said the project’s Director Waliur Rahman.
The Jamuna Bridge is a narrow four-lane bridge and if a vehicle breaks down there, it creates huge congestion until the vehicle is salvaged.
Besides, the construction of a flyover is going on at Gobindaganj, which may create congestion, he said.
On the other hand, the construction of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway is now going on and that may create congestion on Abdullahpur-Ashulia-Baipail road.
Besides, the construction of a flyover at Baipail under the project may cause traffic congestion on the Savar-Chandra highway, which often witnesses congestion during the Eid rush.
Because of the construction work of the expressway, most of the vehicles will not use Abdullahpur-Ashulia-Baipail road, said Gazipur Metropolitan Police’s additional deputy police commissioner (Traffic) Ashok Kumar Pal.
Chandra intersection at Kaliakoir Upazila in Gazipur is widely recognised as the gateway to the northern region, with thousands of vehicles from 117 northern routes passing through daily.
Faisal Hossain, manager of Labiba Paribahan in Chandra, noted that there are over 100 counters for northern transport services in the area. Buses are required to stop there to pick up passengers, contributing to congestion.
Additionally, the installation of unnecessary road dividers has further narrowed the road, causing traffic jams even under normal circumstances. With the Eid rush approaching, the situation is likely to worsen.
Long-distance transport drivers, passengers, and local residents who regularly travel on this highway complain that illegal shops, roadside markets, unauthorised parking, and large number of battery-run auto-rickshaw occupying both sides of the road cause year-round congestion. The problem escalates significantly during Eid, and people fear a similar situation this year.
Gazipur Highway Police superintendent AKM Akhtaruzzaman Basunia said that over 900 police personnel will be deployed across several highways, including those in Gazipur, during the Eid period.
Their operations will be coordinated with the district police to maintain traffic flow.
Meanwhile, the four-lane construction of the Dhaka-Rangpur highway from Elenga in Tangail to Jamuna Bridge remains incomplete.
However, lanes for slow-moving vehicles on the existing two-lane road have been finished and will be available for use during the Eid travel period. This will allow vehicles traveling from Dhaka to Jamuna Bridge to benefit from a four-lane route.
Despite this, the risk of traffic congestion remains, particularly because the Jamuna Bridge still has only two lanes, and vehicle breakdowns on the highway could lead to further delays.
A field visit on Saturday morning along the 34-kilometer stretch from Karatipara in BasailUpazila of Tangail to the eastern end of the Jamuna Bridge showed that vehicles were moving smoothly on the four-lane highway and the two-lane slow-moving road up to Elenga in Kalihati.
Suvankar Ghosh, general secretary of the Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association, said they expected passenger pressure on March 25, 27 and 29.
The closure of garment factories on March 29 may cause huge traffic pressure in Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur areas, he said.
The construction of a flyover in the Baipail area may cause traffic congestion on the Savar-Chandra highway, which often witnesses congestion during the Eid rush.
Replying to a question, Suvankar said they had sought security from the police to ensure passenger safety.
They also asked the bus owners to keep the bus doors closed at night to avoid any untoward incidents, he said.
Asked about overcharging by some bus operators, he said they have nothing to do regarding AC buses as there is no fixed fare for such services.
But they will take action against other buses if they receive allegations of overcharging, he said.
