Election Homebound Rush Causes Severe Traffic Chaos on Highways

Thousands of workers and general passengers are facing extreme difficulties as they rush to their hometowns ahead of Bangladesh’s national parliamentary election. Since Tuesday morning, heavy traffic congestion has been reported on the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways.

After factories announced holidays for voting, a massive number of people started traveling at the same time. As a result, long queues of buses, trucks, and private cars were seen in Gazipur, Chandra, Konabari, and Mirzapur areas.

Many commuters said that journeys which usually take two hours are now taking five to six hours. Women, children, and elderly passengers are suffering the most.

Passengers also complained about a shortage of buses and excessive fares. Some were forced to travel on trucks due to the unavailability of public transport.

Police officials said most officers are engaged in election duties, leaving fewer personnel to manage highway traffic. Limited manpower has made it difficult to control congestion.

Social media users have also shared their frustration over long delays and high fares.

Commuters have urged the authorities to deploy more traffic police, introduce special bus services, and ensure fare monitoring to reduce public suffering during the election period.