25-km tailback before Bangabandhu Bridge

A 25-kilometer tailback has been created before the Bangabandhu Bridge on the Dhaka-Tangail highway due to heavy pressure of traffic, a road accident and subsequent suspension of toll collection at the bridge.

The tailback stretched from the east end of the bridge to the bypass area in Tangail town, causing immense sufferings to homebound people ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. The women, children and elders have been the worst sufferers from the gridlock.

Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bangabandhu Bridge police station (east), said the bridge authority halted toll collection for 1:40 hours at night after a man was killed in a bus-pickup collision at the west end of the bridge and it led to the traffic jam. Besides, there is extra pressure of vehicles.

He, however, expects that the situation will ease up soon.

During a visit to the spot around 9:30 am, it was seen that the tailback created from the bridge and reached Gharinda of Tangail town. The scorching sun and sticky hot weather added to the passengers’ woes.

Idris Ali, driver of a microbus, said he started from Savar at 4:00 am and managed to reach Tangail in the next five hours. Vehicles remain stalled for around 25 minutes after running for a few minutes each.