14-km tailback: Eid holidaymakers suffer on way back to Dhaka too

Eid holidaymakers of the northern districts of the country are suffering unbearable traffic jams while returning to Dhaka especially via Bangabandhu Bridge after the end of the Eid holidays, similar to what they had to undergo before Eid.

A 14-kilometre tailback was created on the Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway after a truck had an accident, creating traffic congestion from the eastern end of Bangabandhu Bridge to Elenga of Kalihati upazila in Tangail since Friday noon.

It took almost 2-3 times longer to reach the destination. Scorching heat only added to the suffering of the passengers.

Private service holder Md Asaduzzaman who boarded a bus from Sirajganj on Friday evening got stuck in a traffic jam near Elenga at around 8pm.

"When I came from Dhaka two days before Eid, the 3-hour journey took about 24 hours due to the traffic jam. Today, I was stuck in a traffic jam for about one and a half hours. I checked Google map and saw traffic jams up to 20 kilometres ahead," he added.

"There is no end to the suffering of crossing the Bangabandhu Bridge during Eid. The toll collection process is slow here. And, if an accident happens, there is a long traffic jam on the road. It is really difficult to have such a journey when I have my family with me," he said further.

Bangabandhu Bridge East Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shafiqul Islam said a mango-laden truck overturned near the third bridge in Elenga's Babla area. It took around one hour to clear the road. Besides, a bus also got stuck on the highway after its engine failed, which worsened the traffic situation.

People travelled at ease on Daulatdia-Paturia route

The Daulatdia Terminal in Rajbari – the gateway to the capital for 21 districts in the south-western part of the country – saw a rush of Dhaka-bound passengers since Friday morning but there were no long queues of vehicles on either end of the terminal.

Dhaka-bound passengers are very happy with the easeful journey. Motaleb Mia returned to Dhaka with his family members from Pangsha upazila in Kushtia.

"I had to wait for hours at Daulatdia Terminal during last Eid-ul-Fitr. But there is no traffic jam at the terminal this time. I boarded the ferry as soon as I arrived," said Motaleb.

Another holidaymaker Shakhawat Hossain, who returned to Dhaka from Meherpur, said, "In the past, I always used to be anxious while using the Daulatdia-Paturia route as there were long queues of buses and trucks and we had to wait for hours after hours to board a ferry. This time, the journey was a very good experience for me."

Prafulla Chauhan, Manager (Commerce) of Daulatdia Ferry Terminal, said the pressure of people and vehicles heading towards Dhaka increased after morning. At present, 16 ferries and 22 launches are plying on this route.

Syedabad and Gulistan areas were also crowded

Bus terminals in Syedabad and Gulistan area were also crowded on Friday as many holidaymakers from the southeast part of the country returned to the capital. Passengers said they did not have to get stuck in traffic jams.

Miraj Hossain, bus driver of Imad Paribahan, said, "The pressure of passengers on the bus was high today, but there was no traffic jam on the road. I came to Dhaka with ease."

Sujan Bhowmik, traffic inspector in charge of the Gulistan area, said that no accident was reported anywhere. Passengers are returning with ease as there is no traffic jam on the road.

Meanwhile, several people were seen leaving Dhaka on Friday. Those who did not get Eid leave or wanted to avoid the suffering of Eid journey were leaving Dhaka.