Thousands of travellers on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway were left stranded for hours on Wednesday due to a massive traffic jam, stretching over 40 kilometres. The chaos was triggered by a workers' blockade in Gajaria, creating widespread disruptions on one of the country's most vital roadways. The roadblock, enforced by factory workers at around 8:00 am, brought traffic to a standstill, with many passengers and transport workers trapped in the tailback for hours. The gridlock, which extended from Gazaria to Daudkandi, affected both directions of the highway, severely delaying travellers between Bangladesh’s two largest cities. One frustrated passenger, Hasan Shahriar Chowdhury, who was travelling from Mirsarai, Chattogram, shared his ordeal with UNB. "I started my journey at 6:30 in the morning and got stuck after crossing Daudkandi Bridge due to the huge traffic jam. I don’t know what exactly caused it, but this is horrible," Shahriar said. His travel plans were derailed, and an important business meeting in Dhaka had to be missed. He lamented, "Planning a trip to Dhaka has become increasingly difficult. Today, I wasted four long hours due to this notorious traffic jam. And it’s not just me – thousands of passengers in hundreds of buses were stuck on both ends of the highway." Shahriar noted the absence of highway police during the crisis, raising concerns about road management and safety. "There was no police presence to manage the situation or assist the stranded passengers," he added. The Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, which connects two major cities in Bangladesh, is known for its frequent traffic disruptions. Read: 10-Km tailback created on Dhaka-Ctg highway, commuters suffer   Even minor accidents or blockades often cause significant delays, especially during peak travel hours. Passengers and transport workers have long called for improved highway management to address such situations promptly. Factory Workers Protest The blockade, which sparked the massive traffic disruption, was reportedly staged by around 200-250 employees of a medical device manufacturing factory, JMI Group, in Anarpura, Gazaria. According to Bhoberchar Highway Police sub-inspector (SI) Riyadul Islam, the workers took to the highway in protest after the death of a colleague on October 10. The deceased worker, an employee of the JMI factory, reportedly died from a stroke. The protesting workers demanded compensation for the deceased's family, among other requests. The protest, which lasted over three hours, caused the traffic jam to worsen, with a tailback of nearly 20 kilometres forming on both sides of the highway. The blockade was lifted at around 11:15 am, after which traffic slowly began to return to normal, SI Riyadul confirmed. Despite the resumption of vehicular movement, passengers like Shahriar expressed frustration over the poor response time of law enforcement and the lack of communication from the authorities. The highway, which is essential for trade and travel between Dhaka and the port city of Chattogram, continues to face congestion issues that disrupt daily life for thousands. As of now, no official statement has been released by the authorities regarding the workers’ protest or the long traffic jam that ensued. Passengers and transport workers alike are urging swift action to ensure smoother management of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in the future, particularly in dealing with unforeseen incidents. When asked about the factory workers' demands, Md Abdur Razzaq, Managing Director of JMI Group, said that his factory is the only one in the country producing medical devices and is fully export-oriented. Read more: 8-km tailback created on Dhaka-Ctg highway He said that the employees of his industrial group enjoy more benefits than those mandated by existing labour laws. He alleged that certain vested groups are inciting the workers to protest with unreasonable demands. Meanwhile, Muhammad Rezaul Karim, Deputy Inspector General (Admin) of the Highway Police Headquarters, commented on the significance of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, calling it a crucial national route with a high volume of traffic. "Even a minor disruption, whether caused by an accident or a protest blockade, can lead to severe traffic congestion," he said. About the Highway Police, he said they are responsible for law enforcement in public matters and for restoring order in the event of rule violations.

Two people were dead and four were injured in a collision involving three vehicles at Munshiganj’s Gazaria upazila on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. According to police, the accident occurred around 3:45 am today when a microbus carrying Momen Mia (35), who lived in Saudi Arabia, and his family were heading towards Titas upazila of Cumilla from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Read more: Saudi expatriate killed as train hits him in Dhaka's Malibagh When the microbus reached Gazaria’s Boktar Kandi area, a covered van hit the vehicle from the back, pushing the microbus to the other side of the divider and into the Dhaka-bound lane. A Dhaka-bound bus carrying 40 passengers from Sajek Valley hit the vehicle a second time. The bus collided with a nearby tree after failing to control its speed. All the passengers of the bus were unharmed. They were sent to their destination in another bus, our Munshiganj correspondent reports. The deceased were identified as Dulal Mia, 60, brother-in-law of Momen Mia, and Md. Hossain, 10, the nephew of the latter. Their bodies have been kept at Bhaberchar Health Complex in Gazaria. Read more: Bangladeshi killed in Greek train crash Meanwhile, Momen and his brother, Akhtar Hossain, are undergoing treatment and are in critical condition. Bhaberchar Highway Police Outpost Sub-inspector Riyad said the covered van and the bus were seized, but the drivers fled. Police have also seized the damaged microbus.    

Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Chattogram highway remained halted for two hours as local people blocked the road protesting the drive against illegal gas connection. Md Ibrahim, executive magistrate and assistant commissioner (land) of Sonargaon upazila, said a mobile court conducted a drive under Pirojpur union of Sonargaon area against the illegal gas connections. During the drive, they also snapped 3000 illegal gas connections. At one stage, the illegal gas users obstructed them and took to the Dhaka-Chattogram highway at 2 pm protesting the drive. They also staged a demonstration there, creating a 15-km long tailback from Shimrail to Meghnaghat point of the highway. On information, police rushed to the spot and tried to quell the matter. A chase and counter-chase took place during the incident. The protesters also set fire to tyres on the highway. Later, the vehicular movement became normal around 4 pm after police intervention. END/UNB/Corr/MAS/ssk

Vacationers heading home four days ahead of Eid-ul-Azha had to suffer through a 10-km long tailback on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway passing through Narayanganj on Wednesday.Massive gridlock was witnessed on the highway at Shimrail, Kanchpur, Madanpur and Meghna area from this afternoon.Hundreds of vehicles got stuck which caused extreme miseries to the drivers and passengers amid scorching heat.A home-bound passenger Faria Rahman said vehicles were moving slowly after crossing the Signboard area. It is taking a long time for the passengers to reach the destination.Meanwhile, some passengers alleged transport owners are charging extra fare.Nabir Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) Kanchpur Highway police station, said, “The gridlock was caused by heavy pressure of cattle-laden vehicles as well as home-bound people ahead of Eid.”The highway police has taken various steps to control traffic, including deploying additional police at every turn of the highway, patrolling and not allowing local vehicles on the highway, said the OC.“Due to the extra pressure of the vehicles, people have to wait for a while at a few turning points of the highway causing a tailback. Hopefully it will be normal soon,” he added.Highway police have also evicted illegal establishments and shops on or near the highway to avoid traffic gridlock.

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.” Also read: 20km long tailback on Dhaka-Ctg highway following road crashes However, police are trying to ease the traffic movement by sending the vehicles to the designated  parking areas, he said.

A fire broke out on a moving bus on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Sitakunda upazila on Tuesday. The fire started in the bus named ‘New Edition’ around 12 pm. Fortunately all the passengers of the bus managed to get down from it immediately. At first locals tried to douse the flames as transport movement was stopped on the highway following the fire incident. Also read: 60-yr-old Bangladeshi woman dies in Kolkata guest house fire Later two fire tending vehicles of Kumira and Sitakunda managed to douse the flames after half an hour. Md Nurul Alam Dulal, Senior Officer of Sitakunda fire service, said according to the bus driver and his assistant the fire broke out due to overheating of the engine. Most parts of the bus were burnt but no casualties were reported, he said. Also read: Fire at port city's Zahur Hawkers Market under control; 30-40 shops gutted

A 45-year-old cop crossing the road was knocked down by a speeding vehicle on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the early hours of Saturday. The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam, 45, a sub-inspector of Daudkandi Highway Police and son of Kazim Uddin of Sherpur district. Jahangir, a father of two children, died on the spot when the vehicle hit him as he was crossing the road near Daudkandi fire station in Cumilla after alighting from a police van, officials said. "As soon as we were alerted that an on-duty cop was lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the road, a police team rushed to the spot and took him to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital," said Abdus Sobhan of of Daudkandi Highway Police. Read: 3 killed in Manikganj road crash Hospital doctors declared Jahangir dead on arrival, he said. "The body has been sent for an autopsy," he added.

Four people were killed and another was injured in separate road accidents in Monohorgonj and Sadar upazilas of Cumilla on Tuesday. The deceased were identified Ruhal Amin of Sakchail village in Manoharganj upazila, his wife Selina Akhter, college student Maymuna Akhter, of the same area and microbus driver Liton Mia of Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria. Read: Minor boy killed in city road crash A Dhaka-bound bus hit an auto-rickshaw while overtaking another bus on Cumilla-Noakhali regional highway in Monohorgonj upazila around 11 am, leaving three auto-rickshaw passengers dead on spot. Injured auto-rickshaw driver Khokon Mia is undergoing treatment at Cumilla Medical College and Hospital. Earlier in the morning, a newspaper-carrying microbus collided with a truck on Dhaka-Chattogram highway at Kalakochua in Burichang upazila, leaving microbus driver Liton Mia dead on the spot. Read: Two killed in Cumilla road crash Mainamati Highway police OC Belal Uddin Jahangir and Lalmai outpost in-charge Masudur Rahman said the bodies were sent to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Two persons were killed when a speeding van crashed into a three-wheeler on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway near Suagazi in Cumilla Sadar South upazila early on Wednesday morning. The deceased were identified as three-wheeler driver Jamil Mia, 32, son of Hanif Mia of Vatpara village of the upazila, and pedestrian Fazal Mia, 30, son of Lal Mia of Dhonpur village of the same upazila. Read: 3 killed in Habiganj road crash Police said the Chattogram-bound van crashed into the three-wheeler after its driver lost control of the vehicle on the high-speed corridor near Suagazi in the morning, leaving both the victims dead on the spot. Md Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Mainamati Highway Police, said they had seized the vehicle though its driver fled. "The bodies have been brought to the police station," the OC said.

Hundreds of vehicles and commuters got stuck for hours in a 25-kilometer long tailback on Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Tuesday due to repair work of Langalbandh Bridge in Narayanganj district. Mohammad Maniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Narayanganj Highway Police said the gridlock stretched from Shanir Akhra to Daudkandi in Cumilla. Also read: Eid holiday rush leads to 12km tailback on Dhaka-Aricha highway “The gridlock was caused by heavy pressure of goods-laden vehicles and others on Sonargaon-Nabiganj route. We are trying our best to ease the movement of vehicles,” he said.