Around 8,000 vehicles including goods-laden trucks, and covered vans have remained stranded on both sides of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway as the vehicular movement has been cut off on the highway for the past three days due to floods.
The floodwaters have submerged the road up to waist-deep at the Lalpul section in Feni, blocking vehicle movement.
Consequently, cargo transport between Chittagong and the rest of the country has come to a standstill.
During a visit on Saturday, it was witnessed that thousands of goods-laden vehicles were stranded from Nizampur College in Mirsarai to Feni along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
Similarly, thousands of cargo-laden vehicles are also stuck on the road from Chauddagram in Comilla towards Chittagong.
Drivers of the stranded vehicles has reported that there are at least 8,000 trucks carrying goods waiting on the road, hoping for the water to recede.
Mohammad Swadhin, a driver of a cargo truck stranded in Mirsarai, said: “I’ve been stuck here with my truck since Thursday afternoon. I was transporting wheat from Chittagong port to Narayanganj in Dhaka. Due to high water levels on the road in Feni, vehicle movement has been halted. We are waiting for the water to go down.”
Another driver, Nazrul Islam, said: “I have been stranded with my cargo since Thursday. Last Friday night, four trucks were robbed. Two vehicles had their windows smashed, and various parts including batteries were stolen from several trucks. Attempts were made to break into the trucks and steal goods. The army, police, and students had to step in to drive the criminals away. We have been unable to sleep at night, fearing theft of cargo and vehicle parts.”
Sajjad Hossain, another driver, mentioned: “I was heading to Dhaka with my cargo but ended up due to worsening flood situation. The road from Lalpul in Feni to Chauddagram is still submerged, so vehicles cannot pass. On both sides, at least 8,000 to 10,000 cargo-laden trucks are stranded.”
He added: “I have money, but there are no shops around. There is hardly any food available. Many shops and homes have been submerged in the floodwaters, causing severe inconvenience for us.”
Mohammad Saiful Islam, Divisional Manager of the East Railway informed that train services between Chittagong and the rest of the country have been suspended since 9am on Thursday due to water on the tracks. We are unable to specify when train services will resume.”
Shortage of supply in markets of Chittagong
With both rail and road transport disrupted, there is a shortage of goods in various markets in Chittagong.
The vegetable market, in particular, has been facing the worst shortage, and unscrupulous traders have taken advantage of the situation to hike prices.
Regarding this, Monir Ahmed, President of the Inter-district Goods Transport Association and Covered Van Owners Association, said: “Since Thursday, cargo transport between Chittagong and the rest of the country has been halted. Due to water on the roads in Feni and other places, vehicle movement has been cut off. We are waiting for the water to recede to resume vehicle operations.”
He further mentioned: “No imported goods from Chittagong port could be transported anywhere in the country on Friday, and similarly, export goods could not be brought to the port. The supply chain of goods between Chittagong and the rest of the country has been disrupted due to the halt in road and rail transport.”
Abul Kasem, President of the Chakaria Wholesale Traders Association, commented on the situation: “For three days, communication between Chittagong and the rest of the country has been cut off. As a result, cargo trucks have not reached the wholesale markets in Chittagong. Goods from the port city could not be transported to other parts of the country. The breakdown in the supply chain has led to a slight increase in wholesale prices at Chakaria-Khatunganj.”