Published : 04 Oct 2026, 08:54 PM
Updated : 04 Oct 2026, 08:54 PM
A stretch of the Dhaka Bypass Asian Highway in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon has developed extensive cracks, raising concern among drivers and pedestrians.
The cracks have appeared across about 250 metres of the Singlab-Pakunda Road, running both across and along different sections of the roadway.
Locals spotted the damage on Saturday morning. In places, the asphalt has peeled away, exposing the layers underneath.
By Sunday, sand and brick chips had been used to make temporary repairs to the cracked and damaged sections. But drivers and residents said the patchwork had done little to reduce the risk of travelling along the road.
The 48km road is being upgraded to four lanes under the Dhaka Bypass Asian Highway project overseen by the Roads and Highways Department. The project cost has been set at more than Tk 35 billion.
Work was originally scheduled to finish in 2020, but the deadline has been extended several times.
Locals have blamed the damage on the absence of guide walls along both sides of the road, saying pressure from the soil has caused the eastern side to sink.
They warned that rainwater and heavy traffic could widen the cracks and cause parts of the road to collapse, creating a serious accident risk, particularly for heavy vehicles.
Amir Hossain of Pakunda village said, “The construction work on the road is still ongoing. The work has not been fully completed.
“Before that, it should be investigated whether irregularities or corruption have contributed to the road’s current condition.”
Project Director Syed Aslam Ali has disagreed with the locals’ assessment.
He said two to three days of continuous rain had softened the soil on the Dhaka side, after which heavy vehicles caused the softened soil to shift and the road to sink.
He said the Dhaka Bypass Expressway Development Company had arranged emergency traffic movement through a diversion road. The sections where soil has shifted will be drilled and repaired anew, he added.
