Floods, traffic jams cripple Dhaka-Ctg highway, hurting exports 

On the heels of month-long protests and lockdowns, severe floods crippled the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, a critical artery connecting the capital to the port city, with damaged sections, persistent traffic jams, and frequent accidents causing suffering to travellers and halting the movement of export-import goods.

A 27km tailback formed on the highway on Wednesday (28 August) stretching from Madanpur in Narayanganj to Daudkandi in Cumilla while thousands of commuters faced hardship. 

The gridlock was triggered by a road accident at Madanpur and vehicle breakdowns in Gazaria, Munshiganj.

Makbul Hossain, a bus passenger, recounted his ordeal, stating, "I boarded a bus from Cumilla for Dhaka but found myself stuck in a traffic jam from Daudkandi toll plaza. In 1.5 hours, I have managed to travel 6-7 kilometers."

Gazaria Highway Police Outpost Officer-in-Charge Md Humayun Kabir said the congestion is primarily due to the influx of people returning to Dhaka after distributing relief to flood victims in Cumilla, Feni and other areas. Authorities are working diligently to alleviate the traffic congestion.

Several sections of the highway were damaged by floodwaters, and repairs are currently underway as floodwaters recede. 

Traffic flow on the Cumilla-Feni stretch has significantly improved after urgent repairs by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD). 

However, damaged road conditions have led to tailbacks on the 45-km Feni-Cumilla stretch, with vehicles moving slowly over pothole-ridden sections until Tuesday night.

Binoy Kumar Paul, executive engineer of RHD Feni Division, said, "A large portion of the highway had been washed away by floodwaters. We took immediate action to repair the damaged section."

Paul also mentioned that ongoing pothole repairs along the highway would further enhance traffic flow. 

As the four-day traffic jam started to subside, Inland Container Depots (ICDs) in Chattogram began to see a surge in trucks and covered vans carrying export goods. 

Road Accidents, malfunctioning vehicles and traffic pressure were the reasons behind the tailback.

Ruhul Amin Talukder, secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA), said, "Thousands of vehicles were stuck in the gridlock for over four days. They began arriving at the depots."

With the highway paralysed for the past few days, the transportation of export and import goods has come to a near halt. 

Raw materials cannot reach factories, and export products are stuck before reaching the ports. 

The ready-made garment sector, a key economic contributor, is struggling to meet buyers' deadlines of 90 to 120 days for shipping goods, leaving factory owners worried about securing new orders under these uncertain conditions.

Omar Hazzaz, president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the country's export trade is facing severe threats due to the ongoing crisis. 

He pointed out that the breakdown of road communications and supply chains has led to a 20% drop in new export orders. If these issues are not addressed, the country's trade will face significant repercussions.

Traders in the ready-made garment sector said the fall of the Awami League government and the formation of an interim government have heightened instability. Foreign buyers, worried about issues like factory fires and encroachments, are deterred from placing new orders due to the ongoing political turmoil.

Syed Nazrul Islam, first vice president of the BGMEA, has called on the interim government to ensure a stable business environment, warning that political unrest is driving foreign buyers away from Bangladesh. 

He said the typical 90 to 120-day process for order fulfilment — including raw material import, product preparation, and shipment — is crucial for maintaining export trade. Any disruption can hinder timely delivery.

BKMEA Director Mohammed Shamsul Azam told TBS that assessing the full impact on the garment industry is challenging given the current situation. 

The floods have caused an extension of transport times from Chattogram to Dhaka to over five days, which is too long. The daily number of trucks and covered vans delivering export goods to depots has fallen from over 3,000 to under 1,000, though a slight improvement has been observed since Wednesday, according to Ruhul Amin Shikder, secretary general of BICDA.