With Eid-ul-Fitr approaching, people have already begun leaving Dhaka for their hometowns. Many travellers from 21 districts -- including 16 in the northern region -- will use the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway, widely known as the gateway to the north.
However, authorities fear severe congestion during the Eid rush due to slow progress in highway development work on the eastern side of the Jamuna Bridge.
On normal days, around 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles use the highway. During Eid, that number rises to more than three times the usual volume. The situation is further exacerbated by unfit vehicles and inexperienced drivers, particularly after garment factories close, when thousands of vehicles carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers set off simultaneously.
Authorities say they have taken several measures under the new government's directives to ensure smoother travel. Nonetheless, delays in the highway expansion project -- especially the construction of a flyover in Elenga -- have created a major bottleneck.
Abdul Monem Limited is upgrading the highway under the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC-2) project. Although work that began in 2022 was scheduled for completion by December 2025, only about 50 percent of the project has been completed so far.
With the construction of the Elenga flyover underway, the area already experiences heavy congestion during Eid every year, and officials fear the situation could worsen this time as road space has narrowed due to the ongoing work.
Rabiul Islam, an Abdul Monem Limited official, said, “The project had been delayed over several reasons, but traffic will not be disrupted due to the highway development and flyover construction work. Sufficient space has been kept open for vehicles.”
Jakir Hossain, a bus driver on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route, said, "Last year, we were stuck in traffic jams for hours in the Elenga area. Work was still going on the highway then. It is going on this time too. So, we are likely to face the same problem again."
Md Sharif, officer-in-charge of Elenga Highway Police Station, said authorities are preparing traffic management plans considering the flyover area construction zone.
He also noted that unfit vehicles remain a major concern.
Tangail Traffic Inspector Anisur Rahman said Elenga is already a busy and congestion-prone area. “The construction of a flyover, which required demolishing a foot bridge, has further increased the risk of traffic jams,” he noted.
He added that the district’s superintendent of police recently inspected the highway and identified vulnerable points, instructing officials to take preventive measures.
In addition to managing congestion, authorities plan to deploy more law enforcement personnel this year to prevent crimes such as robbery and activities by dope gangs.
Sinthia Ajmeri Khan, executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department in Tangail, said the 40-kilometre stretch from Mirzapur to Elenga is under their department’s jurisdiction and remains in good condition.
“Still, our teams will remain ready to respond to any problem at any time,” she added.
Akter Hossain, a bus driver on the Dhaka-Pabna route, said congestion also occurs because too many vehicles try to cross the Jamuna Bridge at the same time.
“If the bridge lanes are not widened, traffic jams will continue during Eid,” he said.
Contacted, Riaz Uddin, executive engineer at the Jamuna Bridge Site Office of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, said a tender has already been issued to widen the bridge lanes.
“However, if a vehicle breaks down or an accident occurs on the bridge, traffic has to be stopped for rescue operations, which causes long tailbacks on both sides. It is important to ensure that reckless driving is avoided and that unfit vehicles are kept off the highway during Eid,” he said.
