A two- day  Ashtami Snan(bathing festival), a  Hindu religious ritual,  has triggered a 17 kilometers long tailback  on Dhaka Chattogram highway on Saturday.

The number of Hindu devotees crossed 10 lakh this year as they gathered on the bank of Brahmaputra River at Langalbandh in Bandar upazila of Narayanganj after the bathing festival remained suspended for two years due to the Covid pandemic, said the local administration.

Meanwhile, Jayedul Alam, Superintendent of Narayanganj police said, “ Some 9 lakh devotees who have arrived here from different  corners of the country have parked vehicles carrying them haphazardly and went to take a bath which has created gridlock on the highway.”

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However, police are trying to ease the traffic movement by sending the vehicles to the designated  parking areas, he said.

Sazzad Karim Khan, Officer-in-Charge of Kanchpur highway police station said, from Friday night huge number of Hindu  people started gathering for the Ashtami Snan which has created traffic gridlock from Saturday morning on the highway.

“It might take several hours more to reduce the traffic gridlock on the highway,” said the OC.

This year 18 ghats have been prepared for the bathing festival starting from 9:22  pm on  Friday and ending at 11:08 pm Saturday.

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Devotees were seen immersing in the river carrying flowers, fruits, coconuts and  Mango leaves seeking forgiveness from the Brahmaputra River for their sins.

A fair has been arranged along the riverbank centering the festival.