Gazipur highways crowded with homebound passengers

Crowds of homebound passengers along the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways at Gazipur have stepped up since Monday morning. As over the past few days, vehicles have been proceeding slowly along the 12km stretch of Dhaka-Mymensingh highway from the Chandana intersection to Tongi. Traffic jams are forming at Borobari, Kunia and College Gate. The traffic congestion is increasing with the large number of trucks carrying cattle and also because of ongoing construction work. This is causing suffering to the passengers and the drivers alike.

In the meantime, homebound crowds were seen from the morning at the Chandra intersection of Kaliakoir upazila, Gazipur, heading northwards. The people were having to wait inordinately due to inflated fares and an inadequate number of buses. Many were seen boarding trucks and pickup vans, risking their lives to go home.

Officer-in-charge of the Konabari highway police station, Mir Golam Faruk, said there were no traffic jams in the vicinity, but there was pressure of increasing vehicles. Many factories were due to close down in the afternoon and that is when the pressure on transport would multiply. But police have been deployed at various points along the highway.

Aminul Islam, a worker of the Tusuka Denim factory in Konabari, Gazipur, said, “I have taken leave and started off a day early to go home. I have been waiting from 6:00 in the morning but haven’t managed to get any transport. There are hundreds of passengers but not enough transport. I don’t know how I am going to go.”

Another factory worker Ashraful Islam said he was going to Rangpur but couldn’t avail any long distance bus. They were filled with passengers from Dhaka. He will travel by a cattle truck instead.

Gazipur superintendent of police SM Shafiullah inspected the Chandra intersection of Kaliakoir upazila on Sunday evening. He briefed the traffic police as well as the police of the police station there. He said they should all ensure that there is no traffic jam. The public transport must line up in an orderly manner for passengers to board. Gazipur Metropolitan Police, district police and the traffic department are on duty to ensure safety along the highways.