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Traffic jam fears on Dhk-Ctg highway during Durga Puja
Published : Wednesday, 14 October, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
A 5-day extended holiday for Durga Puja has raised fears of severe traffic congestion along the Cumilla section of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
Commuters face potential gridlock due to broken road surfaces, random passenger pickups, illegal roadside CNG stands, and unauthorized structures stretching from Daudkandi toll plaza to Amzader Bazar in Chouddagram.
Identified vulnerable spots include Daudkandi toll plaza, Gouripur bazar, Madhaiya, Chandina bazar, Nimsar bazar, Nazirpur intersection, Amtoli in Cumilla Sadar, Paduar Bazar Bishwa Road in Sadar South, Chouddagram bazar, and Amzader Bazar.
With Mahalaya marking the beginning of the rituals on October 10, the main festival runs from Shashti to Dashami between October 16 and October 21. A three-day official Puja holiday from October 20 to October 22, combined with the subsequent Friday and Saturday weekend, creates a 5-day break, which is expected to multiply transport pressure on the highway.
Regular drivers and passengers reported that reckless stopping at bus stands, roadside markets, broken patches around Amtoli, and ongoing repair work on the Dhaka-bound lane in Chouddagram slow down vehicle movement, creating long tailbacks whenever a vehicle breaks down.
Bus drivers noted that while vehicles normally maintain higher speeds, restrictions and bottlenecks near Cumilla Cantonment, Amtoli, and Amzader Bazar force speeds down to 20 to 30 kilometers per hour, warning that highway police alone may struggle to handle the holiday rush.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad Cumilla Metropolitan Committee Senior Vice-President Achintya Das Titu noted that 860 pandals have been set up across the district, including 72 in the city, drawing relatives and devotees from across the country. He urged highway police to take advance measures to ease holiday travel.
Chittagong Division Community Police General Secretary ATM Mizanur Rahman stated that over 50,000 vehicles ply the national highway daily—far exceeding its capacity.
He added that poor contractor work quality leads to recurring potholes, slowing traffic and creating vulnerable spots for nighttime highway robberies. He suggested handing highway expansion over to the army to permanently ease congestion.
Local highway police officers, including Daudkandi OC Premdas Roy, Eliotganj OC Md Nazrul Islam, Mainamati OC Ruhul Amin, and Miyabazar OC Niranjan Kumar, stated they have formulated advance action plans. They confirmed that patrolling teams, 24-hour monitoring, and scores of volunteer personnel will be deployed across vulnerable points to manage traffic and clear illegal roadside stands.
Cumilla Roads and Highways Department Executive Engineer Khandaker Golam Mostafa acknowledged the risk of traffic congestion during the holidays.
He assured that potholes in areas like Amtoli will be repaired within days, while traffic management teams have already been deployed to Amzader Bazar. Regarding illegal structures, he noted that authorities regularly conduct eviction drives, but encroachers frequently return, calling for greater civic awareness.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
