Long tailbacks on Gazipur highways as hundreds head home to vote
With a four-day long holiday declared around the election, workers have started returning home in large numbers, creating immense pressure on key highways
A festive, Eid-like rush has gripped the Dhaka - Tangail and Dhaka - Mymensingh highways as hundreds of thousands of people, mostly garment workers, head back to their villages to cast their votes in the 13th national parliamentary election, triggering severe traffic congestion and prolonged suffering for travellers.
With a four-day long holiday declared around the election, workers have started returning home in large numbers, creating immense pressure on key highways.
According to sources concerned, once factories in different parts of Gazipur closed yesterday (9 February) afternoon, a huge number of people set out for their destinations at the same time, causing traffic flow on the Dhaka–Tangail and Dhaka–Mymensingh highways to increase several times compared to normal days.
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The situation led to intermittent, long traffic jams, leaving passengers travelling to northern districts and the greater Rangpur region in severe distress. Besides garment workers, seasonal agricultural labourers working in different parts of the north have also begun returning to their villages to vote.
From early this morning (10 February), long queues of vehicles were seen in Chandura, Safipur, Mouchak and Konabari areas of Gazipur. Thousands of passengers were found waiting at different stations, while congestion involving buses, trucks and private vehicles meant journeys were taking several times longer than usual.
According to traffic police sources, after factories closed yesterday, severe congestion stretched for nearly 10 kilometres from Chandura to Baroipara in Kaliakair at night. Although the situation improved somewhat in the morning, passenger pressure has remained high.
Returning workers and passengers said they were eager to take part in the "festival of voting", but traffic congestion and transport shortages were creating major obstacles. Many passengers also complained that transport operators were charging several times the normal fare, taking advantage of the rush. Some said they had to wait for long hours at night without finding the buses they needed.
Farhad Hossain, a garment worker from Tangail, said, "I set out in the morning after getting leave from the factory to cast my vote. But I have been stuck at Chandura intersection for an hour. I don't know when I will reach home."
Officer-in-Charge of Konabari Naojor Highway Police Station Sawgatul Alam said a shortage of personnel was making traffic management difficult due to election duties.
"Because of the election, a large section of police personnel is engaged in election duty, so it has not been possible to deploy adequate manpower on the highway. During long holidays, usually several hundred police members remain on duty on the highways. But this time, as most officers are assigned to election duty, we are trying our best to keep traffic movement normal with limited manpower," he said.
Additional Inspector General of Highway Police Md Delwar Hossain Mia told The Business Standard that more than 80% of highway police personnel are currently engaged in election duties. "As a result, we are managing the highways with a very limited number of officers. We have now instructed the district police to coordinate and help control traffic congestion on the highways. Once the highway police members return after completing election duties on 14 February, we will be able to resume normal operations," he said.
Speaking about the traffic situation, he added, "Since garment factories closed yesterday, everyone is heading to their villages at the same time to cast their votes. Buses are stopping at various points to pick up passengers, which has caused congestion. There was heavy pressure from 3am to 10am today. It has eased somewhat now. There may be some difficulties over the next two to three days, after which the situation should improve."
Meanwhile, passengers have complained about heightened fares.
Many workers gathered at different bus terminals today to travel to their home villages during the holidays.
They alleged that due to a shortage of buses compared to passenger demand, they had to wait for long periods.
Taking advantage of the situation, bus operators allegedly charged extra fares.
