Traffic jam stretches 40km on Dhaka–Chattogram highway, patient dies in ambulance

A traffic jam stretching nearly 40 kilometres has developed on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, from Sonargaon in Narayanganj to Elliotganj in Daudkandi, Cumilla.

The congestion began after road repair work started on the Dhaka-bound lane at Ashariarchar in Sonargaon around 8am on Friday. As of 8am Saturday,severe traffic congestion persisted on the Dhaka-bound lane of the highway.

Passengers and drivers are facing extreme suffering as a result. Among them, a patient died after being trapped in the traffic jam while being taken to Dhaka in an ambulance.

The patient, identified as Amirunnesa was a resident of Pranabhagabatipur village in Chandraganj upazila of Lakshmipur.

Her relative Tarek Al Hasan told Prothom Alo by phone that Amirunnesa suffered a heart attack on Friday. Her relatives left for Dhaka by ambulance around 8pm. They reached Daudkandi in Cumilla around 11pm, but could not proceed because of the traffic jam. She died around 3am after being stuck in the congestion for four hours.

Several passengers of Mujahid Paribahan, travelling from Chattogram to Bagerhat in Khulna, told Prothom Alo that they left Chattogram in the evening and became stuck in traffic at Elliotganj in Daudkandi around 2:30am. By 8am Saturday, they had managed to cover only 10 kilometres and reached Amirabad in Daudkandi.

Ripon Mia (55) driver of a Surma Paribahan bus travelling from Dhaka to Hajiganj in Chandpur, said the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway is one of the country’s busiest highways and should therefore remain under constant administrative supervision.

Women, children and elderly passengers are suffering terribly, sitting and fidgeting inside buses in the intense heat, he said.

Inspector Mohammad Shamim, in-charge of the Bhaberchar Highway Police Outpost in Gazaria, Munshiganj, said the congestion was caused by repair work that began at 8am Friday on the Dhaka-bound lane at Ashariarchar in Sonargaon.

He mentioned that the traffic congestion is still ongoing, and the highway police are properly carrying out their duties to alleviate the sufferings of vehicle drivers and passengers amidst the intense heat.