Travelling along a 40-kilometre stretch of the Cumilla-Sylhet highway has been a test of patience for commuters for around 24 years, with potholes, damaged pavement, roadside encroachment and persistent traffic congestion turning daily journeys into an ordeal.
The stretch, under the Cumilla Road Division, is part of the highway that serves as a vital transport link for several eastern districts.
Of the roughly 54 kilometres under the division, around 40 kilometres remain in poor condition, leaving passengers and drivers struggling.
At some places, the pavement is riddled with large potholes, while the asphalt has peeled off at others, said locals.
Rainwater accumulates in damaged sections, further worsening the road surface.
Encroachment on the highway at markets and unauthorised parking of auto-rickshaws add to the congestion, while ongoing repair work has brought further disruption.
A visit to at least 20 kilometres of the highway covering Mainamati, Kangsannagar, Jafarganj, Kalikapur, Phulgachhtala, Debidwar, Pannarpul, Bhinglabari and Companyganj, revealed extensive damage at several points.
Buses, trucks, covered vans, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, microbuses and motorcycles are navigating the broken road with risk and at Kangsannagar and Jafarganj markets, roadside trading and auto-rickshaw parking further narrow the carriageway.
For passengers, the consequences are often hours of wasted time.
Drivers said a single vehicle breaking down on the damaged stretch can bring traffic to a standstill, leaving motorists stranded for three to four hours.
Syed Khalilur Rahman Babul, a resident of Debidwar town, said people have been suffering on the Cumilla section of the highway for nearly 24 years.
“Sometimes we suffer because of traffic congestion caused by encroachment, and at other times because of the damaged road. The problems never seem to end,” he said.
He called for more manpower to expedite the repair work and stronger traffic management to reduce public suffering.
Truck drivers Jamir Uddin and Mehedi Hasan, along with bus driver Md Liton, described the highway as a major source of daily hardship for road users.
The road is full of potholes and damaged sections, and traffic congestion is a regular occurrence, they said.
When a vehicle breaks down, the resulting congestion can leave other vehicles stuck for three to four hours.
The prolonged delays affect not only passengers but also goods transportation, increasing travel time and making journeys more difficult for transport workers.
Jamil Ahmed Khandaker, president of the Cumilla Motor Association, said the Cumilla-Sylhet highway is one of the key routes for communication and goods transportation across several eastern districts.
He stressed the need for durable, quality repairs rather than temporary fixes, alongside the speedy completion of ongoing work.
“Given the importance of this highway, the authorities must ensure sustainable repairs that can withstand regular traffic. The work also needs to be completed quickly to ease the suffering of passengers and transport workers,” he said.
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, sub-divisional engineer of the Cumilla Road Division, said repair work is underway on around 20 kilometres of the damaged highway.
“We expect to complete the repair work by June. Work on the remaining 20 kilometres may begin next year,” he said.
He said the department is carrying out repairs on one side of the road while trying to minimise public inconvenience as much as possible.
However, with only part of the damaged stretch currently under repair and work on the remaining section yet to begin, commuters continue to face uncertainty over when their long-running ordeal will end.