External trade suffers as traffic jam on Dhaka-Ctg highway intensifies

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Jasim Uddin Haroon
Traffic snarl-ups on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, the country's economic lifeline, have become a common phenomenon in recent days, creating a fresh trouble for external trade as most of export-import goods-laden vehicles ply on the route.
Apart from this, passengers of around a dozen of districts and tourists are also suffering each day following regular traffic jam in the highway.
Increase in the number of all kinds of vehicles is the main reason for this frequent traffic jam, sources at the transport sector and the police said.
"The number of vehicles increased tremendously on the highway. Besides, regular accidents on the road are also an important reason," Shorab Hossain, deputy inspector general and in-charge of Highway Police told the FE.
The sources claimed that on an average passengers suffer for three-four hours everyday for this jam.
But, on Thursdays and during long vacations, the snarl-up stays for 10-12 hours for each Dhaka-Chittagong trip, they claimed.
"We have to wait for hours on the highway and we hardly see any police personnel during the jam," said an official of an air-conditioned coach service.
The country's exporters, especially those of garment, said they have been facing severe uncertainly in reaching their goods to Chittagong port and other off-docks in the port city due to such jam on the highway.
The Chittagong port handles more than 90 per cent of the country's external trade worth around $37 billion.
"Believe it or not, many shipments were cancelled during the Eid vacation when covered vans delayed for around 20 hours," Abdus Salam Murshedy, BGMEA president, said.
The country's $10 billion plus worth garment sector largely depends on the highway as the Bangladesh Railway provides limited services.
The chief of Highway Police said: "We try our best through limited logistics, but cannot prioritise export-laden goods."
He also said the highway in many areas is too narrow to take prompt action.
Md Fazlul Hoque, BKMEA president, said covered vans and trucks are taking higher fares in recent times citing the traffic jam.
"It's our bad luck that the new problem has coincided with the global recession when prices for readymade garments are on the decline," Mr Fazlul added.
Nurul Amin, president of Chittagong Port Truck Owners' Association, said: "Not only the exporters and importers, we also are suffering for the menace."
He said, during vacations, many truck drivers express reluctance to ply on the road or demand higher fares apprehending jam."
However, the government has recently completed tender procedures to construct four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong Highway realising the importance of the road.