No major traffic jam on Dhaka-Chattogram highway's Cumilla portion

The Eid-ul-Fitr holiday has begun today. People have started leaving the capital Dhaka for their respective destinations during the seven-day holiday. However, the relieving news is that traffic movement remains normal on the 104-kilometre Cumilla stretch of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway during this Eid journey so far.

Although there is no traffic jam on the highway after 10:00 am on Tuesday, the pressure of vehicles has increased.

Drivers and passengers are expressing relief during this Eid journey. They said that in the past, homebound people suffered due to severe traffic jams on this busy highway, but this time there is no such hardship.

Meanwhile, Highway Police and the Roads and Highways Department said various initiatives have been taken this time to tackle traffic jams.

Daudkandi Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Bahar Majumder said, "We have taken this Eid journey as a challenge. We are present on the highway 24/7 to make the homebound people's Eid journey joyful. Although the Eid holiday has started today, traffic movement is still normal. However, the pressure of vehicles has increased on the highway, especially on the Chittagong-bound lane."

Abul Kalam, a driver of Cumilla Asian Transport, said, "Although the Eid holiday has started today, there is no traffic jam on the highway yet. I have reached Cumilla from Dhaka in 2 hours and 15 minutes. If police remain active, hopefully there will be no traffic jam on the highway."

A passenger named Kamal Hossain said, "I don't believe there will be no traffic jam on the road home for Eid. Every year I leave home 2-4 hours early. But this journey was an exception. It was very enjoyable. There was hardly any hassle on the road. I got off at Cumilla's Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road on Hanif Transport in just two and a half hours. I thank the country's administration including the police department."

Highway Police sources said that to reduce passenger harassment and robberies during Eid, 27 low and high priority spots have been identified on the highway from Cumilla to Chittagong. Police are keeping a 24-hour vigil at the identified spots with importance.

These spots include Baldakhal Bus Stand, Gauripur Bus Stand, Amirabad, Chandina Bazar, Madhaiya Bazar, Kutumbapur Bazar, Eliotganj Bazar in Daudkandi upazila, Cumilla; Nimsar Bazar in Burichang upazila; Cantonment area; Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road area in Cumilla Sadar Dakshin; Mia Bazar both lanes in Chauddagram; Chauddagram Bazar Dhaka-bound lane; BSCIC Intersection in Feni; Lalpol area; Rampur Bridge area; Koska Bazar; Samiti Bazar in Chhagalnaiya; Baraiyar Hat at Jorarganj in Chattogram district; Mirsharai; Sitakunda Bus Stand in Sitakunda upazila; Baro Darogar Hat Weigh Scale; Port Link; Choto Kumira; KDS Intersection; Bhatiari Point and Barabkunda Bazar.

Regarding this, Cumilla Region's Superintendent of Police Shahinur Alam said, "Multiple meetings were held with transport owners and workers beforehand to reduce passenger harassment during the Eid journey on the highway. Traffic congestion-prone areas were identified and advance measures were taken. Hopefully, homebound people will not suffer during the upcoming Eid. People will be able to return home hassle-free."

Khondaker Golam Mostafa, Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways Department, Cumilla, told BSS, "We have held multiple meetings with Highway Police and others concerned to keep the highway traffic-free. Development work on the highway has been halted in areas where it was ongoing and made suitable for vehicle movement. Hopefully, the suffering of homebound people will be less during this Eid on this national highway."