Published : 23 Mar 2025, 05:34 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 12:45 PM
Abul Hossain has driven buses along the Dhaka-Sylhet highway for nearly 30 years. But every time he approaches the Sarail Biswa Road intersection, he is overcome with dread.
“There hasn’t been a single day when I could pass this spot in under 30 minutes,” says Abul, who also owns the Real Coach bus company.
The reason? Potholes and the dilapidated state of the road slow traffic to a crawl. With Eid approaching, he fears congestion will only worsen and called for immediate repairs before the holiday rush.
The 12.21km stretch from Ashuganj to Sarail Biswa Road is riddled with potholes, forcing vehicles to slow down to just 10 kph. Highway Police warn that the road’s condition could lead to gridlocks during the Eid travel period.
“When vehicles are forced to move at 10 kph, those behind them also have to slow down, creating long tailbacks,” Md Mamun Rahman, chief of Sarail Khatihata Highway Police Station.
Homebound travellers frequently complain about the crippling congestion that invariably clogs the Brahmanbaria section of the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway during Eid. Making matters worse are the ongoing road expansion projects, including a 37km four-lane section from Ashuganj to Akhaura and a 22km six-lane stretch from Biswa Road to Madhabpur.
Adding to the chaos are illegal roadside markets, haphazard vehicle parking, and the unregulated movement of three-wheelers.
Truck driver Lokman Hossain pointed out that vehicles from Dhaka, Sylhet, and Cumilla all converge at the Sarail Biswa Road roundabout, causing inevitable gridlock.
“On top of that, construction materials are often left on the road, further blocking traffic,” he said.
Illegal parking at key locations, including Khatihata, Bauriura, Shahbazpur, Chandura, Budhanti, Alinagar, and Madhabpur Bridge, worsens the congestion.
The road conditions don’t just affect long-distance travellers -- locals face daily hardships as well.
Nurul Huda, a trader who commutes from Brahmanbaria to Sarail, says he now has to leave an hour earlier than usual due to traffic delays.
Meanwhile, shop owner Momin Mia says that transport costs for goods have tripled, and dust pollution has driven away customers.
“The dust is so bad that I had to stop selling tea because no one wants to sit in my shop anymore,” he added.
Even students are struggling. Shafik Rahman, a first-year Honour's student at Brahmanbaria Government College, said: “I don't feel like going to college sometimes because of the terrible road conditions and dust. Even with classes now closed, the dust makes staying at home unbearable.”
OC Mamun acknowledged the problem, explaining that vehicles entering the damaged stretch at 100 kph must slow to just 10 kph, creating severe bottlenecks.
However, he assured that once the four-lane and six-lane roads are completed, congestion will ease.
To manage traffic during Eid, Highway Police have deployed three mobile patrol teams at night and a dedicated traffic unit at Biswa Road.
Addressing illegal roadside structures, Mamun said that encroachments on the west side of Biswa Road had been cleared, but action was still needed on the east side.
“A joint operation involving Highway Police and local officials was planned, but there have been delays due to scheduling conflicts,” he said, while expressing hope that Eid travellers will have a smoother journey this year.
Meanwhile, Md Shamim Ahmed, manager of the Ashuganj-Biswa Road to Akhaura Land Port four-lane road project, said that pothole repairs from Ashuganj to Biswa Road were in progress and would be completed before Eid.
