A 15-kilometre long tailback on the busy 2-lane Dhaka-Tangail highway for last three days has been causing untold sufferings to the people.
The tailback from Konabari and Chandra of Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur to Mirzapur upazila in Tangail was due to potholes on the narrow road.
Hundreds of vehicles including passenger buses and goods-laden trucks were seen stranded.
Earlier, due to rain for several days, the road was damaged badly at Pakulla, Dholla, Mirzapur, Deohata, Icchail, Charpara, Gorai, Hatubhanga and Sohagpara areas under Mirzapur upazila in Tangail and Chandra, Kodda, Konabari, Boardghar and Shafipur areas at Kaliakair upazila in Gazipur, sources in Gorai Highway Police said.
This correspondent while visiting the areas yesterday morning found that only a few members of law enforcers were trying to ease the tailback on the roads but failed due to the pressure of hundreds of vehicles.
AKM Hafiz Akter, superindent of police (SP) of Tangail, said the tailback was created as hundreds of vehicles of the 23 north and northwest districts started moving on the broken road just after the end of 48-hour hartal.
The Roads and Highways (RHD) Department was already requested to repair the damaged road immediately, he said.
"Moreover, the only small wrecker of Tangail police to remove troubled vehicles from the busy road has been out of order for last few days," said the SP.
The RHD executive engineer in Tangail could not be contacted despite repeated attempts over the cell phone.
However, an RHD official seeking anonymity said that the pressure of over 10,000 vehicles on the busy 2-lane highway every day cannot be manageable as they have capacity for only 5,000 vehicles.
Source : The Daily Star
