Afternoon traffic gridlock feared as 833 Gazipur factories close today
Since Monday, hundreds of thousands of workers from Gazipur’s industrial areas have been leaving Dhaka in phases.
Traffic on the Dhaka–Tangail and Dhaka–Mymensingh highways remained largely smooth this morning (19 March), offering temporary relief to Eid holiday travellers, but congestion is expected later in the day as the remaining 833 factories in Gazipur close after noon, likely increasing pressure on the roads.
As the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday approaches, millions of people are heading back to their hometowns to be with their families.
The fourth day of the mass journey has so far seen manageable traffic conditions during the morning hours.
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Since Monday, hundreds of thousands of workers from Gazipur's industrial areas have been leaving Dhaka in phases.
Wednesday (18 March) brought significant disruptions, as adverse weather and rainfall caused severe traffic congestion, prolonging commuters' suffering throughout the night.
A nearly 25-kilometre stretch of the Dhaka–Tangail highway, from Konabari to Mirzapur, witnessed stop-and-go traffic, leaving many travellers stranded for hours.
The situation, however, improved this morning with clear, sunny weather.
At present, vehicle pressure is relatively low, and traffic movement on the highways remains normal.
According to Industrial Police and factory sources, Gazipur has a total of 2,834 factories under BGMEA and BKMEA. Of these, 2,753 factories are being granted Eid holidays.
Over the past three days, around 75% of the factories have been closed in phases to help avoid traffic congestion. On Wednesday alone, a record 1,414 factories (40%) were closed.
Police and local sources said that the highest number of factory closures took place on Wednesday.
In addition, rainfall in the afternoon increased pressure on both highways from passengers and vehicles. As a result, long queues of vehicles formed in various areas of the Dhaka–Tangail highway, and in some places, severe traffic congestion occurred.
At night, homebound travellers faced hardship due to intermittent gridlock over the 25-kilometre stretch from Konabari in Gazipur city to Mirzapur in Tangail.
From this morning, favourable weather conditions and the efforts of law enforcement agencies have helped traffic begin to return to normal.
The remaining 25% of factories, equivalent to 833 units, are scheduled to close at noon today.
As a result, passenger and vehicle pressure is expected to increase again in the afternoon, potentially causing further traffic congestion and commuter hardship.
Homebound travellers have complained that those who could not secure bus tickets in advance are facing severe difficulties.
With no available seats on buses, many passengers have been forced to travel to their destinations in trucks or pickup vans at higher fares.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Konabari Naojor Highway Police Station, Sawgatul Alam, said that police have been working since last night to ease traffic congestion, and additional personnel have been deployed at key points.
He added that the situation began to normalise from the morning, and traffic management has been further strengthened to handle the expected increase in pressure this afternoon.
