DHAKA-SYLHET ROUTE: Collapsed highway section turns journey into 16-hour ordeal

A crumbling stretch of the Dhaka-Sylhet highway is turning a routine intercity journey into a nightmare, with travel times now stretching to 10-12 hours, and in some cases up to 16, particularly during the rainy season.

The 10-kilometre section between Brahmanbaria and Sarail has become virtually impassable due to gaping potholes, stalled roadworks and seasonal downpours, forcing vehicles to crawl along the route.

As frustrations mount, increasing numbers of travellers are ditching buses and opting for trains, overwhelming Bangladesh Railway's services to and from the northeast.

With Sylhet and its surrounding haor wetlands, tea estates and forests offering lush monsoon scenery, the tourism rush has only intensified the transport crunch, particularly over long weekends and an additional one around August 5.

Passengers alleged that maintenance work on this stretch has remained suspended for over a year.

They also pointed out that vehicles are moving at a snail's pace due to the ongoing construction work on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway. Makeshift shops and roadside bazaars that have sprung up along the narrow two-lane road are further worsening the traffic situation.

With demand for train tickets on the rise, officials of Bangladesh Railway (BR) said almost all four trains departing from Dhaka's Kamalapur Station leave with extra coaches during weekends and the peak tourism season.

The rainy season, known for showcasing the natural beauty of the haor wetlands, swamp forests, lakes, and verdant tea gardens, draws hundreds of visitors to Sylhet, Sunamganj, and Sreemangal.

This past weekend saw a fresh wave of tourists due to an additional public holiday on August 5.

Road travel woes have intensified due to the stalled construction of the Brahmanbaria to Sarail section under the Indian Line of Credit (LoC), following the ousting of the previous Awami League government.

The four-lane upgrade of the 10km road is part of the broader Arail-Ashuganj land port-Sarail-Khorkha-Akhaura land port road project.

While some Indian contractors involved in the LoC project have recently returned, no significant work has resumed.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD), which is overseeing the four-lane upgrade of the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, reportedly struggles to conduct regular field visits due to the deteriorating conditions.

RHD officials, however, denied that the section of the road is in poor condition, stating that the four-lane expansion has so far remained on either side of the existing highway and has not yet impacted the two-lane carriageway.

Insiders, however, fear the transportation situation may deteriorate further once the main construction phase of the four-lane project begins.

The Dhaka-Sylhet highway, already flagged as one of the country's most accident-prone routes, is witnessing increasing traffic due to its importance for trade, especially stone transportation and its connection to several land ports.

Police records indicate that 358 accidents occurred on this highway over the past five years, resulting in more than 400 fatalities.

smunima@yahoo.com