Dhaka-Ctg highway submerged under floodwaters in Mirsarai, traffic disrupted

The Chattogram-bound lane of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, one of the busiest in the country, has been submerged in knee-deep water near the Sonapahar area in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram following four consecutive days of heavy rainfall and upstream hill runoff, causing significant traffic congestion and hardship for commuters.

Locals and vehicle drivers reported that approximately 1.5 kilometres of the Chattogram-bound lane, stretching from Arshinagar Future Park to the Jorarganj road junction, has been inundated.

The waterlogged stretch brought traffic to a crawl, with vehicles forced to move slowly through the flooded section.

Local residents blame unplanned industrial development on former agricultural land for blocking natural drainage routes. "Even a little rain leads to waterlogging here. With continuous downpour for the past four days, water from the hills has been flowing down, but there's nowhere for it to drain," said one resident named Moinuddin.

Sharif Uddin, a driver for Chattogram-bound transport service Choice Paribahan, shared his experience: "I left Baroiarhat at around 10:45am. The flooded road near Sonapahar delayed my journey by nearly an hour, which normally takes only 20 minutes."

Confirming the situation today (19 June), Jorarganj Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Sarkar Abdullah Al Mamun told The Business Standard, "A pond near the highway overflowed and flooded the road in the Sonapahar area, causing vehicles to move a little slowly. There is some traffic congestion, but no gridlock yet."