Transport adviser inspects Dhaka-Sylhet highway on motorcycle after getting stuck in gridlock
The adviser blames poor traffic management as the main reason behind gridlock
Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan inspected the dilapidated parts of the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway on a motorcycle today (8 October) after his convoy was caught in a severe traffic jam on the road on the Ashuganj section in Brahmanbaria.
The adviser arrived in Bhairab from Dhaka by train and began his road journey towards the Sarail-Bishwaroad intersection in Brahmanbaria.
However, soon after setting off around 10:15am from Ashuganj, his convoy, accompanied by the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police, became stuck in heavy traffic at Sohagpur till 12:30pm.
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He and his team members were later seen travelling on multiple motorcycles and continuing the inspection.
Md Khairul Alam, officer-in-charge of Ashuganj Police Station, said highway and local police were working together to ease congestion and clear the way for vehicles.
Speaking to reporters after the inspection, the adviser blamed poor traffic management as the main reason behind the gridlock. "The Highway Police are not fulfilling their responsibilities properly. I will discuss the issue with the home affairs adviser. Discipline must come first," he said.
Fouzul also announced plans to install road dividers and concrete surfacing between Ashuganj Roundabout and Sarail-Bishwaroad, considering the monsoon conditions.
He further assured that a flyover would be constructed at the Sarail-Bishwaroad intersection to ease traffic flow.
Sharing his experience of being stuck, Fouzul said, "If traffic discipline were maintained, there would not have been such a problem. Maybe my journey would take half an hour longer, but it would move smoothly.
"The main issue is not the road itself — if we keep expanding roads, we will lose space for homes, industries, even burial grounds. We must reduce dependence on roads and increase the use of railways and waterways."
Police said the traffic jam on the 12-kilometre stretch from Ashuganj Roundabout to the Sarail-Bishwaroad intersection has become a daily occurrence due to the highway's poor condition.
The situation worsened from midnight, with gridlock stretching up to 15 kilometres from Sohagpur in Ashuganj to Shahbazpur in Sarail.
Mahmud Ali, a bus driver, said, "Our life is wasted at the roundabout. I left Dhaka at 11pm last night and reached the Sarail-Bishwaroad intersection around 10am. It took eight hours to cover just a short distance. We have been suffering for months."
Passenger Abdul Baten, a Sylhet-bound traveller, said, "I boarded the bus from Rajarbagh around 2am for Sylhet, but was still stuck on the road at 10:30am. We suffer every night like this, yet no one pays attention."
Meanwhile, the Roads and Highways Department has been carrying out temporary repairs at Ashuganj Roundabout and the Sarail-Bishwaroad intersection for the past three days ahead of the adviser's visit.
Officials said regular maintenance has been delayed because the 12-kilometre stretch falls under the Ashuganj–Akhaura four-lane highway project.
Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge of Khatihata Highway Police Station, said the jam intensified since midnight due to the distressed road condition.
"The Highway Police are trying to control traffic, but until proper repairs are made, the problem will persist," he added.
