Long tailbacks in Gazipur highways as thousands head home for Eid
Hundreds of pre-booked buses are parked along highways, while large crowds gather roadside waiting for transport, further worsening the situation.
A surge of homebound commuters ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr has led to mounting pressure on the Dhaka-Tangail highway, particularly around the Chandra area of Gazipur, as thousands of workers from Gazipur's industrial area have begun their journey home.
The volume of passengers increased significantly from this morning (18 March) as thousands of industrial workers started leaving for their homes.
Hundreds of pre-booked buses are parked along highways, while large crowds gather roadside waiting for transport, further worsening the situation.
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Traffic is particularly severe near roadside factories where buses stop to pick up passengers.
Sowgatul Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Konabari Naojor highway police station, said, traffic pressure has been rising since yesterday and may increase several-fold after midday today.
"A large number of hired buses parked along the highways have created some congestion. We are working to maintain discipline on the highways and ease traffic flow," he said.
According to Industrial Police and factory sources, authorities implemented a staggered holiday schedule this year to ease travel congestion.
Data shows that around 10% factories closed on Monday, followed by 25% yesterday. today sees the highest number of closures, with 40% of factories shutting down. The remaining factories are scheduled to close tomorrow, which is expected to further increase traffic pressure on highways.
