18 km traffic jam strands commuters on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway

An 18-kilometer-long traffic jam has clogged the Chattogram-bound lane of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, stretching from the Signboard area in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, to the Langalband area in Bandar. 

The tailback, which started early Wednesday morning, has caused significant inconvenience to both passengers and drivers.

The gridlock has turned a five-minute journey into a half-hour ordeal as vehicles remain stuck for hours. The situation was particularly dire at the Shimrail intersection, where the traffic had not eased as of 9:00am. 

Raihan Hossain, a frustrated passenger, shared that he had to abandon his bus journey from Shimrail to Madanpur and return home on foot due to the immovable traffic. Similarly, garment worker Afifa Rahman was forced to walk to her workplace, saying, "It's difficult, but there's no other option."

Bus driver Ariful Hasan described the chaos, noting that it took him nearly an hour to travel from the Signboard area to the Shimrail intersection, with no sign of relief in sight. "The road is so congested that the bus can barely move. Passengers are getting off out of frustration. I have no idea how much longer it will take to cover the rest of the journey," he said.

Traffic Inspector Abu Naim of Shimrail Camp, Kanchpur Highway Police Station, acknowledged the severity of the situation but was uncertain about the cause of the traffic jam. "We are trying to resolve the issue," he said.

Repeated calls to Officer-in-Charge Rezaul Haque of Kanchpur Highway Police Station went unanswered as he hung up each time.