BNP Lawmaker Shahadat Hossain Salim Urges Action Against Administrative Officials Over Dhaka-Chittagong Highway Gridlock

LAKSHMIPUR — Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) lawmaker Shahadat Hossain Salim has warned that elements within the civil administration are actively working to destabilize the government. In a post on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, the Member of Parliament for Lakshmipur-1 (Ramganj) urged the government to identify and penalize officials responsible for administrative failures before the situation deteriorates further.

The statement followed a severe traffic gridlock on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway that lasted for 32 hours, beginning last Friday night. The congestion, stretching from Chandina in Comilla to Ashariarchar in Narayanganj, resulted in significant public suffering. According to Salim, the gridlock caused critical delays for ambulances, resulting in at least one patient death, while numerous expatriate passengers missed their scheduled international flights.

Following the incident, Chief Whip ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan convened a virtual meeting with the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of Comilla and Narayanganj, alongside Highway Police and Roads and Highways Department officials. Salim, who attended the meeting, expressed deep frustration over the lack of accountability among the participating bureaucrats. He noted that the officials displayed no remorse or sense of responsibility regarding the public suffering caused by the blockade.

Chief Whip Nizan, who is tasked with overseeing development coordination in the Comilla, Chandpur, and Brahmanbaria districts, reportedly expressed strong dissatisfaction with the officials. He argued that the authorities should have issued public notices regarding bridge maintenance well in advance. Proper communication through newspapers, television scrolls, and social media platforms would have allowed motorists to utilize alternative routes and avoid the crisis, the Chief Whip observed.

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Salim criticized the lack of coordination and transparency, describing it as a major concern. He called for immediate, exemplary punishment for the officials involved, labeling their negligence an act of public harm.

The lawmaker, who previously chaired the Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) before joining the BNP, has repeatedly raised concerns about administrative sabotage. In an August social media post, he alleged that allies of the ousted autocratic regime remain entrenched within the state machinery, systematically obstructing government development initiatives and attempting to paralyze state functions.

Speaking to the media regarding his recent comments, Salim emphasized that his public statements are intended to alert the government to the internal conspiracies. He asserted that it is now incumbent upon the government to investigate these grievances and ensure that the responsible officials are held strictly accountable.