With factories announcing holidays ahead of the national parliamentary election, a large number of working people have begun returning to their villages. As thousands of travelers set off at the same time, traffic pressure has sharply increased on the Dhaka–Tangail and Dhaka–Mymensingh highways in Gazipur. Vehicles are moving slowly, with frequent traffic jams, causing severe hardship for homebound passengers.

From early Tuesday morning, long lines of buses, trucks, private cars, and other vehicles were seen in areas such as Chandra, Safipur, Mawna, and Konabari in Gazipur. Travel time has increased several times compared to normal conditions, leaving passengers stuck on the roads for hours.

Rafiqul Islam, a garment worker traveling from Dhaka to Sirajganj, said he received leave from his factory to cast his vote and started his journey early in the morning. However, he has been stranded in traffic near Chandra for nearly an hour and remains uncertain about when he will reach home.

Hasina Begum, a domestic worker traveling by bus from Konabari to Rajshahi, said she was heading home solely to participate in the election. She added that traveling with a small child amid heavy congestion has made the journey extremely difficult.

Officer-in-Charge of Konabari Naojor Highway Police Station, Sawgatul Alam, said that during long holidays, hundreds of police personnel are usually deployed on the highways. This time, however, most police officers are engaged in election duties, leaving fewer personnel to manage traffic. As a result, vehicles are moving intermittently in areas including Chandra, and the limited number of officers are struggling to keep traffic flowing.

Meanwhile, a correspondent from Mirzapur in Tangail reported a sharp rise in passengers heading toward the northern districts on the Dhaka–Tangail highway. Many travelers have been waiting for buses for hours without success, forcing some to ride trucks to reach their destinations. Passengers have also complained that bus drivers and supervisors are charging excessive fares amid the rush.

According to passengers and local residents, seasonal agricultural workers from northern districts usually come to Mirzapur to work in mustard and rice cultivation. With the national election scheduled for Thursday, many began their return journey from Monday afternoon to vote. The crowd increased further on Tuesday morning. In addition, workers from northern regions employed in factories at the Gorai industrial area have also started heading home, adding to the traffic congestion.

Visits to the Deohata area and Mirzapur Bypass bus stand on Tuesday morning showed a heavy concentration of northbound passengers, most of them laborers.

Sujon Dey, a passenger traveling to Dinajpur, said he had been waiting for a bus since 6:00 a.m. at the Mirzapur Bypass bus stand but had not found one by 7:45 a.m. He added that although a few buses stopped briefly, they demanded higher fares, prompting him to wait in hopes of finding a more affordable option.

The issue has also drawn attention on social media. Ashraf Uddin Ahmed, general secretary of the Jatiya Party’s Mirzapur municipal unit, posted on Facebook describing the situation as dire. He wrote that it took 11 hours to travel from Dhaka to Mirzapur overnight, with roads crowded by people and little traffic control in place. He alleged that fares were being charged at up to four times the usual rate, leaving ordinary people and workers to suffer without any effective oversight.