Eid exodus amid fears of traffic chaos
The great exodus from Dhaka has begun, as millions of people leave the capital to reunite with their families and celebrate Eid-ul-Azha. According to the transport minister, nearly 2.5 crore passengers are expected to travel within a short span of time, posing a major logistical challenge for the government. Although the minister has assured that Eid travel will be “comfortable,” reports of poor transport infrastructure and unfinished road projects, as well as the unusually high passenger load, make safety and operational challenges harder to contain.
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Reports indicate concerns over severe traffic congestion at four major entry and exit points of Dhaka—Baipail, the Kanchan Bridge approach roads and sections of the Asian Highway, the Jatrabari-Kanchpur corridor near Kanchpur Bridge, and the Elenga bus stand area on the Dhaka-Tangail highway. These concerns have already been raised during meetings with highway authorities. Highway police have identified 94 choke points across the country, including the above four, indicating that traffic chaos (or accident risk) is likely to extend far beyond Dhaka and affect major highways.
According to official assessments, there are 25 vulnerable locations each on the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Chattogram highways, 21 on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, eight on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway, seven each on the Dhaka-Aricha and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways, and one on the Dhaka-Barishal highway. Highway police have acknowledged that despite preparations involving mobile strike forces, rescue teams, and wreckers stationed at key toll plazas, bridge approaches, and construction zones, they still lack sufficient manpower and resources to manage the situation effectively.
It goes without saying that traffic congestion and sudden disruptions cause immense suffering for passengers, especially the elderly and children. During the Eid rush, many transport operators deploy old and worn-out buses with only cosmetic repairs, making journeys stressful and, at times, dangerous. Some vehicles are driven by unqualified or even unlicensed drivers, significantly increasing the risk of accidents. Poor road conditions and unfinished construction work further heighten the likelihood of mishaps. During the Eid-ul-Fitr travel rush earlier this year, road accidents claimed 351 lives over a 15-day period, while many people suffered life-changing injuries. The number of deaths, according to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, saw an 8.26 percent increase compared to that during last year’s Eid-ul-Fitr travels.
These fatalities are avoidable with proper planning, adequate resource allocation, stricter oversight, and timely implementation of infrastructure projects. Corruption in road construction and maintenance must also be addressed. At the same time, the government needs to expand alternative modes of transport, particularly rail and river transport, to reduce pressure on highways during peak travel periods. The minister’s promise of comfortable Eid travel can only be meaningful if safety is ensured and the suffering of passengers trapped in traffic jams is significantly reduced.
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