Head-on truck collision triggers massive traffic gridlock on Dhaka-Sylhet highway
Photo Collected
A head-on collision between two freight trucks on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Sarail, Brahmanbaria, triggered a 10-kilometer traffic jam on Friday, causing significant delays for thousands of commuters. The gridlock, which began during the morning hours, continued to expand throughout the afternoon.
The accident occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. in the Shantinagar area when a stone-laden truck traveling toward Dhaka collided with a sand-carrying truck moving in the opposite direction. The impact severely damaged the front sections of both vehicles, trapping the drivers’ assistants inside the wreckage.
Local residents and highway police successfully rescued the two men, identified as Al-Amin, 28, and Imran Hossain, 26. Both sustained serious injuries and were transported to the Brahmanbaria District Sadar Hospital for emergency treatment.
Although authorities managed to clear the damaged trucks from the highway within an hour, the incident had already paralyzed traffic, causing congestion to stretch from Beratola Bazar through the Bishwaroad intersection to the Islamabad area.
Officials noted that the collision occurred because vehicles were forced to share a single lane due to ongoing construction work. The highway is currently undergoing a four-lane expansion project connecting the Ashuganj river port to the Akhaura land port via the Sarail Bishwaroad intersection.
The 50.58-kilometer development project, valued at 5.79 billion taka, has been under construction for eight years by the Indian contractor Afcons Infrastructure Limited. Progress on the site has been sluggish, with multiple work stoppages occurring following the political transition in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024. Despite the project nearing completion, large stretches remain restricted to a single lane, which frequently exacerbates traffic bottlenecks in the area.
Abdul Halim, a police inspector overseeing operations at the Sarail Khatihata Highway Police Station, stated that officers have been working since the morning to manage the flow of traffic. He expressed confidence that the situation would return to normal shortly.
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