Stuck in traffic snarl, Adviser Fouzul rides bike to inspect worn-out Dhaka-Sylhet Highway
The adviser blames poor traffic management as the main reason behind gridlock
Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan was forced to ride a motorcycle today (8 October) to inspect the upgradation work on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway after his convoy got stuck in heavy traffic congestion near Ashuganj in Brahmanbaria.
The 12km stretch between Ashuganj and Sarail has become dilapidated, causing frequent gridlocks and commuter suffering. 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. He and his team members were later seen travelling on multiple motorcycles and continuing the inspection.
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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, Fouzul Kabir 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.
He further assured that a flyover would be constructed at the Sarail-Bishwaroad intersection to ease traffic flow.
Sharing his experience, Fouzul said, "If traffic discipline were maintained, there would not have been such a problem. The main issue is not the road itself – if we keep expanding roads, we will lose space for homes, industries, and even burial grounds. We must reduce dependence on roads and increase the use of railways and waterways."
Fouzul also announced plans to install road dividers and concrete surfacing between Ashuganj Roundabout and Sarail-Bishwaroad.
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 Tuesday midnight, with gridlock stretching up to 15 kilometres from Sohagpur in Ashuganj to Shahbazpur in Sarail.
Mahmud Ali, a bus driver, told TBS, "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 Dhaka's 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.
Why the ordeal on this 12km stretch?
Work to expand the 51km Ashuganj–Akhaura section of the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway into four lanes began in 2020, aiming to improve a key route for regional trade and commuting.
The four-lane highway, a Tk 5,791 crore project built by Efcon India, has been plagued by delays from the start. After the July uprising, over 300 officials and workers reportedly returned to India, halting construction for three months.
Currently, overall completion stands at just over 50%, meaning the highway is half-finished but fully frustrating.
Package 1, from Ashuganj Roundabout to Sarail Highway Mor, is the worst-hit segment. Work here is 62% complete, but lingering financial complications have stalled the remainder.
Project Manager Mostakur Rahman Bhuiya said repairs are ongoing and assured that the extended deadline, now June 2027, would allow completion of all work. Commuters, however, remain sceptical after years of broken promises.
Package 2, from Sarail Highway Mor to Tantur Bazar, has reached 55% completion. Construction is carried out by closing one side of the highway while traffic squeezes through the other, creating daily bottlenecks.
Package 3, from Tantur Bazar to Akhaura Land Port, has yet to see any work begin, leaving the final stretch untouched.
Vehicles crawl here at a pace that would make pedestrians look like sprinters, sometimes taking four to six hours, and occasionally 10–12 hours when breakdowns block the narrow lanes.
