Chronic Congestion Paralyses Key Brahmanbaria Highway Intersection

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Commuters on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway faced severe gridlock on Tuesday as a combination of sluggish road development, poor infrastructure, and rampant traffic rule violations paralyzed the Sarail Bishwaroad intersection in Brahmanbaria. The congestion, which began at 8:00 a.m., intensified by midday as rainfall turned the road’s numerous potholes into waterlogged hazards, stretching the traffic snarl across seven kilometers of the vital transit corridor.

The Bishwaroad intersection, a critical junction linking the Dhaka-Sylhet and Cumilla-Sylhet highways, has become a bottleneck where traffic spills over onto regional routes, including the Sarail-Nasirnagar-Lakhai road. Pedestrians are particularly vulnerable at this site, as the total absence of footpaths forces travelers, including students and families, to navigate through mud and standing water to reach their destinations or change vehicles.

Local observers attribute the daily chaos to the glacial pace of the four-lane highway project, which has been under construction for nearly eight years at an estimated cost of 5.79 billion taka. Originally intended to facilitate transit between the Ashuganj river port and the Akhaura land port, the project has faced frequent work stoppages, particularly following political transitions in August 2024. Compounding the structural delays is the proliferation of illegal taxi stands and the unregulated movement of battery-operated rickshaws, tractors, and vans across the 34-kilometer stretch of the highway in Brahmanbaria.

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Drivers caught in the gridlock described the intersection as a site of chronic frustration. Alim Mia, a cargo truck driver traveling to Dhaka, noted that the route has become nearly impassable, a sentiment echoed by bus operators who contend that the lack of oversight has turned the junction into a persistent hazard.

Authorities acknowledge the severity of the situation. According to Abu Taher Dewan, the officer-in-charge of the Sarail Khatihta Highway Police Station, the primary challenges remain the prolonged construction schedule and a pervasive disregard for traffic regulations among motorists. While police continue to attempt to manage the flow of traffic, local residents maintain that the intersection’s poor management and lack of pedestrian facilities continue to create daily hardships for thousands of commuters.