45-kilometer gridlock on Dhaka-Chattogram highway, over 3,500 vehicles stranded

A 45-kilometer congestion has halted vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, leaving over 3,500 vehicles stranded.

The tailback stretching on both sides from Feni's Lalpolce to Cumilla's Chowddagram, was created due to severe flooding that submerged large portions of the highway.

According to highway traffic police, even if the floodwater recedes, it is feared that it might take at least two days to normalize traffic on the highway.

Relief trucks and small vehicles carrying flood victims were also stuck in the traffic jam, said Superintendent of Highway Police of Comilla region Khairul Alam.

He said: "Even though the flood water started receding from Friday night, the traffic has not started yet."

Khairul Alam also said that the highway was submerged in water in different parts of Feni and Comilla districts due to which long traffic jams have been created.

The number of trucks and covered vans arriving at Chittagong port and inland container depots has reduced drastically, he added.

In this regard, Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association Secretary General Ruhul Amin Sikder said that from Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon, only 2,100 trucks carrying export goods arrived. Normally the depots handle around 3500 trucks per day. A total of 630 trucks carried imported goods on Friday, compared to 900 during normal hours.

Ruhul Amin said, "The supply chain of import-export goods may be disrupted on Saturday as the traffic is stopped on the highway."