45-kilometer tailback on Dhaka-Chattogram highway, over 3,500 vehicles stranded

A 45-kilometer tailback has paralyzed the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, leaving over 3,500 vehicles stranded since Thursday night. 

The gridlock, which stretches on both sides from Feni's Lalpolce to Cumilla's Chowddagram, was triggered by severe flooding that submerged large portions of the highway. Even if the floodwater recedes, it is feared that it might take at least two days to normalize traffic on the highway.

The situation has led to a complete halt in both the road and rail communication with Chattogram, the country's commercial capital. 

This disruption is severely impacting the transportation of goods vital to the country's export-import trade, with Chattogram Port handling 90% of the nation's trade volume.

Khairul Alam, superintendent of Highway Police for the Cumilla region, confirmed that traffic has been suspended since Thursday night. "Though floodwaters began receding last night, traffic movement has yet to resume," Alam told The Business Standard. 

He added that the highway remains submerged in various stretches across Feni and Cumilla districts, causing the prolonged tailback.

The impact on transportation has been significant. The number of trucks and covered vans arriving at Chattogram Port and the Inland Container Depots has drastically declined. 

Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association, reported that only 2,100 export cargo trucks arrived between Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon—1,000 fewer than usual. Normally, the depots handle around 3,500 trucks daily, but Friday saw only about 630 trucks leave with imported cargo, compared to the usual 900.

"The suspension of traffic on the highway threatens to disrupt the supply chain for export-import goods as early as today," Sikder warned.

Similarly, Chattogram Port has seen a decline in the number of vehicles arriving to deliver import goods, although container handling operations have remained unaffected. 

Omer Faruque, secretary of the Chattogram Port Authority, acknowledged the situation but noted that port operations continue as usual.

Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed, secretary general of the Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van-Prime Mover Owners Association, expressed concern over the situation. "More than 3,500 vehicles are stuck on both sides of the Feni-Chowddagram stretch. We've received reports of robbery and looting from the stranded vehicles," he said. 

Ahmed also feared that even if traffic resumes today, it could take two days to clear the backlog of vehicles.

The ongoing disruption is exacerbating the scarcity of transport in Chattogram, affecting the delivery and receipt of goods at a critical time. Authorities and businesses are anxiously monitoring the situation, hoping for a swift resolution to prevent further damage to the country's supply chain.