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Published : 06 Jun 2025, 05:08 PM
Homebound journeys from Dhaka’s Sayedabad kicked off relatively smoothly, but traffic congestion has taken hold on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha.
A bus accident on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway near Postogola on Friday disrupted traffic, with snarl-ups spilling over from Jatrabari and Sayedabad all the way to Gulistan and Maniknagar. Many homebound travellers heading home found themselves stuck on the road in the sweltering heat.
Crowds of passengers began gathering at the Sayedabad Bus Terminal and surrounding transport counters from early morning. Travellers bound for Chattogram, Sylhet, Cumilla, Noakhali, and other southern districts arrived in Sayedabad to catch long-haul buses.
However, those coming from Gulistan, Motijheel, and Maniknagar towards Sayedabad ran into traffic jams from early in the day.
Long queues of vehicles were seen stuck from Sayedabad’s Janapath intersection to Golapbagh, through Maniknagar and up to Kamalapur. Vehicles coming from Gulistan were in a similar situation, and the Mayor Hanif Flyover was also affected by traffic jams.
Abdul Quddus, a driver with Saudhia Paribahan, said he had driven his bus from Gazipur to Chattogram in the morning and reached Mugda by 10am. “Since then, we’ve been stuck. It took me one and a half hours to go from Kamalapur to Maniknagar. Apparently, there’s a jam in Sayedabad, so we haven’t been able to move for a long time.”
Hasanuzzaman, a driver for Jonaki Paribahan, said he returned to Dhaka overnight after dropping passengers off in Lakshmipur. “It took me three hours just to reach Shanir Akhra. Then the jam began. Getting from there to the terminal was a nightmare.”
Shamima Sultana, a resident of Indira Road in Dhaka, said her family started their journey to Noakhali in a car on Friday. “We hit a jam as soon as we got on the Hanif Flyover from Chankharpul. The car barely moved. It took us over an hour just to get off the flyover. After reaching Shanir Akhra, the roads were clear.”
Imran Suman, who was stuck on the Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover for nearly two and a half hours, said: “We couldn’t cross the Hanif Flyover in two and a half hours. Vehicles weren’t moving at all.”
“Those heading south via Padma Bridge should consider alternative routes, like through the Bosila Bridge in Mirpur.”
At the Sayedabad terminal, passengers were seen waiting for buses.
Emdadul Haque, a garment factory official from Mirpur heading to Lakshmipur, said: “There’s no shortage of buses on this route, and Sayedabad doesn’t offer advance tickets. Still, there’s usually no problem. I come to the terminal, buy a ticket, and head home. Hopefully, there won’t be too much hassle.”
Sohel Mahmud, a restaurant staffer from Mugda, said he had been waiting for a bus for 30 minutes. “Buses are supposed to leave every 20 minutes, but because of the jam, they’re delayed. That’s why I’m still sitting here.”
Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Traffic) Babul Uddin Sardar said that the bus accident on the expressway caused the congestion. “A bus lost control and climbed onto the road divider. This blocked inbound traffic to Dhaka.”
“As a result, both directions ended up clogged. Initially, we tried to remove the bus with one wrecker. When that failed, we brought in another and finally cleared it around 1pm. Since then, traffic has been moving again, and we hope it will return to normal soon.”
