As people return to work after the Eid holidays, traffic pressure on highways has surged, leading to a 1.5-kilometre-long traffic jam at the Dhaka-bound toll plaza on Bangabandhu Bridge West.
The congestion started on Saturday morning, extending from the west end of the bridge to the economic zone gate, confirmed Abdul Quader Jilani, officer-in-charge of Bangabandhu Bridge West police station.
He said: “Dhaka-bound vehicles are under pressure at the toll plaza. Naturally, it takes time to pay the toll, causing cars to stop. Additionally, due to the rain, several vehicles broke down on the bridge, contributing to the traffic jam.”
The OC added: "This traffic jam has been present since morning, covering at least 1.5 kilometres from Bangabandhu Bridge West to the economic zone gate. All malfunctioned vehicles have been removed from the bridge. However, given the heavy traffic and many people returning to work, I expect the congestion to last until tonight (Saturday)."
Sirajganj Traffic Police Inspector (Administration) Md Zafar Ullah said: "While there is some traffic on the west side of the bridge, the rest of the highway remains normal. The police are actively working to manage the situation."