Dilapidated condition of the country's key highways and approach roads appears to be a major problem for taking increased pressure of the movement of traffic during the two upcoming religious festivals - Eid-ul-Azha and Durga Puja.
Traffic officials, transport operators and experts fear that the traffic movement in many parts of the highways may take a serious turn because of the poor road condition.
Sources said the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), responsible for the development and maintenance of national and regional highways, has been carrying out regular and periodical maintenance work as they do during the rainy season.
But they said the department has not taken special efforts to make these roads fit ahead of two important religious festivals.
RHD officials, however, refuted any possibility of facing problems during the festivals claiming that except three to four points, majority of the roads and highways is in good shape.
"We do not find any such bad condition in the highways except in some points on Dhaka Mymensingh, Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Ashulia routes and part of Jessore-Khulna road," said an official.
However, transport operators and experts said traffic congestions on highways may turn acute this time compelling home-goers to remain stranded on the highways for hours.
They claimed that dilapidated Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Barisal, Dhaka-Mymensingh, Jessore-Khulna, Dhaka-Tangail and other highways as well as the roads in district have already been causing untold sufferings to travellers and drivers.
Condition of Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Chittagong, Jessore-Khulna and Ashulia-Baipail portion of Dhaka-Tangail roads is too bad to maintain smooth movement of traffic during such festivals when the number of vehicles normally goes up threefolds.
Large tailback was also witnessed Tuesday on Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways due mainly to the dilapidated conditions of the roads.
Transport operators alleged that most of these roads were repaired before the last Eid-ul Fitr festival but those could not take the load for even two months.
With the poor budget allocation for maintenance work, road network cannot be improved in the long run, according to RHD officials.
Road Transport Secretary MAN Siddque admitted that repair work on the highways was not necessary since Thursday as the condition of highways is now good.
"We are now concentrating on managing traffic congestion as cattle markets are being set up all on a sudden on different highways," he told the FE.
The secretary further said the roads which turned bad after the ceaseless rainfall recently have been developed.
The ministry of communications (MoC) is putting extra efforts to tackle the situation through repairing the potholes and other damages on an emergency basis to facilitate the journey of tens of thousands of holidaymakers.
But transport operators are not hopeful about any major outcome of the repairing work with brick chips, sand and stones, saying that they would have to face immense sufferings to cope with the increased pressure of passengers.
When contacted, Khandaker Enayetullah, General Secretary of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity, said vehicles now take at least 4 hours to pass only 30 kilometres distance from Chandana Chowrasta to Mawna intersections on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway because of the bad condition of road.
"The ongoing work on the roads is so poor that vehicles bounce and jerk as they hit the spots of repair. It is contributing more to the traffic congestion," said Mr Enayetullah, who also owns Mymensingh-bound Ena Paribahan.
"It's very unfortunate that the department concerned always takes the matter seriously when festivals like Eid approaches," he said, adding that they (officials of the concerned agencies) should allocate a portion of the budget for maintenance purposes of the highways.
When contacted, Superintendent of Police (Comilla) of the Highway Police Rezaul Karim admitted the fact, saying that potholes on dilapidated highways across the country pose threat to smooth journey.
"The ongoing work to make Dhaka-Chittagong Highway into four-lane is also creating communication problems to the users as the road has been dug up at several points and construction materials have been stored on the wayside," he said.
He said vehicles are facing difficulties to cross points like Daudkandi, Comilla Cantonment, Chauddagram, Eliotganj Bazar and Sitakundo of Chittagong because of bad road conditions.
The scenario is almost the same in Jessore-Khulna and Ashulia-Baipail portion of Dhaka-Tangail highways.
Superintendent of Police (Madaripur) of the Highway Police Md. Shajid Hossain said the condition of a 10-kilometre stretch at Abhoynagar upazila point of Jessore-Khulna highway is too poor to move.
"If rainfall starts, the portion will be unmanageable for traffic," he added.
However, infrastructure experts put emphasis on proper management of the allocated funds for repairing and maintenance of the roads, saying that the department concerned should monitor condition of the highways on a regular basis to avert such chaotic situation normally arises ahead of festivals.
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