25-km traffic jam on Dhaka-Tangail highway

Thousands of vehicles have remained stuck on Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu bridge highway due to long tailbacks from early Saturday, causing immense and untold sufferings to passengers.

The highway is witnessing a 25-kilometre traffic jam from Bangabandhu Bridge to Ashekpur Bypass area of Tangail sadar upazila.

During visit on Saturday morning, it was seen that Rabna, Bikramhati, Rasulpur, Pauli and Elenga on the highway have come to a halt. North Bengal-bound vehicles are running sometimes but Dhaka-bound vehicles have remained stuck. Specially, Dhaka-bound cattle traders are facing immense and untold sufferings.

Meanwhile, the bridge authority stopped collecting tolls from Friday night as they could not handle the pressure of vehicles.

Truck driver Lebu Mia said “I am going to Dhaka with cows from Pabna. It takes a maximum of 50 minutes to reach Rabna from Bangabandhu Bridge. It took about two hours today. I don't know how I will go to Dhaka”.

Officer-In-Charge (OC) of Bangabandhu Bridge East Thana Shafiqul Islam and In-Charge of Elenga highway police outpost Yasir Arafat said vehicular movement came to a grinding halt from early Saturday causing the long tailback.

They also said law enforcers along with the highway police are trying to bring the situation under control.

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