Army deployed to highways to ensure smooth travel for Eid holidaymakers

The Bangladesh Army has been deployed to key highways, working alongside highway and traffic police, in an effort to ease congestion and ensure the safety of holidaymakers ahead of Eid.

Starting Tuesday, army personnel were stationed at critical points along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and the Cumilla-Sylhet regional highway, as well as on key routes in the districts of Lakshmipur, Chandpur, and Noakhali.

According to a statement from the Cumilla-based 33rd Infantry Division, approximately 300 troops have been assigned to prevent excessive traffic buildup and deter potential criminal activity.

By afternoon, army personnel were active in the Chandina area of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, actively managing traffic flow.

Soldiers were seen preventing the indiscriminate loading and unloading of passengers, cracking down on illegal parking, and dismantling unauthorised roadside structures that could obstruct the movement of vehicles.

As part of their broader efforts, the army has urged bus owners’ associations and drivers to refrain from operating unfit vehicles and to observe speed limits to reduce the risk of accidents.

Additionally, transport workers have been cautioned against making unscheduled stops to pick up passengers, engaging in reckless lane changes, or driving while fatigued.

Authorities have also appealed to market owners’ associations along major highways—including Dhaka-Chattogram, Cumilla-Sylhet, Cumilla-Noakhali, Cumilla-Chandpur, and Cumilla-Lakshmipur routes—to ensure that roadside vendors do not encroach on the throughways, further narrowing the roads and exacerbating traffic issues.

The army has emphasised that it will fully exercise its magisterial authority to prevent any disruptions that could hinder the Eid travel experience of homebound citizens.

Underscoring its longstanding commitment to national service, the army stated in its release: “In war and in peace, everywhere, we stand by the country. We have done so in the past, we are doing so now, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to serving the people in the future.”