16 hours to reach Jashore from Dhaka

Starting from Dhaka's Mohammadpur before 5a.m three days before the Eid-ul-Azha, we failed to reach the approach road towards Paturia ferry terminal after four and a half hours. We had fallen into a trap of congestion and got stuck for seven hours before we managed to catch the ferry just before sunset. As I heard from some friends who were travelling, it was 9 p.m when they reached destinations. The time this journey took was enough to fly from Dubai and reach Washington DC.

However, we noticed that smaller issues that affect movement of vehicles on the highway have not been addressed. A police officer at Patuaria terminal said he saw no reason why the tailback was created. In fact, there was not 'only one reason' for the congestion. From Savar to Manikganj, there are narrow bridges where vehicles hardly maintain discipline in absence of law enforcement people. Road conditions slow down speed. Absence of discipline and lack of required governance seem to be the key reasons behind the mess.

This is the highway that connects Dhaka with the country's south-western region. This one is important not only for passengers but also for carrying convenience or prepared foods and food items, and trade involving Khulna region and Benapole land port. But such a terrible journey from Dhaka to Jashore symbolises the capacity of the highway and services people and businesses can get from the authorities. Our policymakers focussed on bigger picture of the problem but the details and solution package are often neglected. It is high time that the authorities had identified minor details of why congestion is created and thus addressed it.

Navid Haider Khan

Bejpara, Jashore