People returning to their workplaces after the extended Eid holidays are facing significant delays as massive traffic congestion hit the Jamuna Bridge West Highway today.

While travel home before Eid-ul-Fitr was relatively smooth, the return journey has been a struggle for thousands.

Since this morning, the pressure of Dhaka-bound vehicles has surged on the highway. By 11:00am, a 10-kilometre tailback had formed from Koddar Mor in Sirajganj to the west end of the Jamuna Bridge, with vehicles moving at a snail’s pace due to heavy traffic.

According to police, the congestion was triggered by an accident on the Dhaka-bound lane at the Tangail end (east end) of the Jamuna Bridge earlier in the morning, along with heavy passenger pressure.

Jamuna Bridge West Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Amirul Islam said, “Our teams are working on the highway to maintain discipline, and despite the heavy pressure, there have been no major breaches of order."

Sultan Hafiz, a banker travelling from Pabna with his wife, expressed concern about reaching his daughter’s school by the 3:00pm deadline. Despite reaching Koddar Mor by 11:00am, they were still stuck at 2:00pm.

Farooq Hossain, a garment factory official, left home at 9:00am but had not crossed the bridge by mid-afternoon. He feared a usual six-hour journey might stretch to 12 hours, noting that his wife and children were falling ill due to the long wait in the heat.

Milton Hossain, a bus driver, noted that while the journey home was relatively easy, the return trip is challenging. He attributed the surge to the combination of the Eid holidays, the weekend, and the Independence Day holiday.

Police expect the pressure of commuters returning to Dhaka to remain high until Saturday night.

Officials believe that once the vehicle flow at the Tangail end returns to normal, the congestion on the western side will gradually ease.