With Eid-ul-Azha approaching, fears are mounting over possible traffic chaos on Dhaka–Aricha and Nabinagar–Chandra highways as thousands of holiday travelers prepare to leave the capital.
Transport insiders have blamed several persistent problems for the anticipated suffering, including unauthorized bus stoppages, unchecked movement of battery-run rickshaws, ongoing construction work on Dhaka–Ashulia Elevated Expressway, and disorderly traffic movement at multiple U-turn points.
A visit to several points along the two highways on Sunday found banned battery-operated rickshaws moving freely in areas such as Hemayetpur, Baliarpur, Pakiza, Thana Stand, Savar Bazar, Nabinagar, Baipail, Palli Bidyut, and Bolivadra bus stands.
At Savar, Nabinagar, Radio Colony, and Baipail bus terminals, buses were seen stopping haphazardly on the main carriageway to pick up and drop off passengers, obstructing traffic flow and causing delays. Many buses were also ignoring designated stoppages and halting wherever passengers were available.
In Nabinagar area, buses were observed stopping near the entrance to the service lane in front of Sena Shopping Complex, creating bottlenecks on the highway. Similar scenes were visible at Savar bus stand.
In Pakiza and Baipail, battery-run rickshaws were frequently using nearby U-turns to cross the highway, forcing vehicles in both directions to stop temporarily and worsening congestion.
Meanwhile, construction work on Dhaka–Ashulia Elevated Expressway has left parts of the road surface damaged in Baipail area, with potholes and broken asphalt visible at several spots. Temporary brick repairs have been carried out in some sections.
Ruhul Amin Sohel, Inspector (Administration) of Dhaka District North Traffic Police, said authorities are preparing additional measures to keep traffic moving smoothly during the Eid rush.
“Alongside regular traffic police, an additional 650 members of Dhaka District Police will be deployed on the highways from 8:00 am on Sunday,” he said.
