45km tailback created on Dhaka-Ctg highway

NAZIMUDDIN SHYAMOL
CHATTOGRAM, Aug 24: A 45-kilometre tailback was created on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway due to the severe flooding in the district with some 3,500 vehicles stranded on Thursday night.
The gridlock stretched on the both sides from Lalpole of Feni to Chowddagram of Cumilla.
A large part of the highway went under water under the influence of the flood which was triggered by incessant rain and upstream water.
If the floodwater recedes, it may take at least two days to normalise traffic on the highway.
Besides, floods continue to wreak havoc on valuables and resources in Chattogram, with five people reported dead and thousands stranded.
At least 100 unions of 11 upazilas under the district have been submerged.
The flooding 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 per cent of the trade volume.
Khairul Alam, superintendent of highway police for Cumilla region, has said traffic has been suspended since Thursday night.
"Although floodwaters began receding last night, traffic has yet to resume. The highway has remained submerged in various stretches across Feni and Cumilla districts, causing the long tailback."
The impact on transportation was significant as arrival of trucks and covered vans at Chattogram Port and the inland container depots has drastically declined.
Nurul Qyuim Khan, president of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), has said that export-import is hampering due to the crisis of transportation.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has taken measures as exporters and importers are suffering a lot.
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 a day, but Friday saw only about 630 trucks leave with imported cargo, compared to the usual 900.
"The suspension of traffic has threatened to disrupt the supply chain for export-import goods as early as today," he added.
Similarly, Chittagong Port has seen a decline in the number of vehicles arriving to deliver import goods, although container handling operations remained unaffected.
CPA secretary Omer Faruk said that the port operations continue as usual.
Secretary General of the Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van-Prime Mover Owners Association Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed expressed concern over the situation.
"More than 3,500 vehicles have got stuck on both sides of the highway from Feni to Chowddagram of Cumilla. We've got reports of robbery and looting from the stranded vehicles."
He also feared that if traffic resumes today, it could take two days to clear the backlog of vehicles.
Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Fahmun Nabi said that approximately 250,000 people from 50,000 families are currently stranded.
In response, the government has allocated 1,300 tonnes of rice and Tk 3.5 million in cash for relief efforts. So far, 455 tonnes of rice and Tk 19 lakh have been distributed.
According to Chattogram District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Saifulah Majumder, rescue operations are underway, with 50 boats deployed in Mirsharai and 10 in Fatikchhari.
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