11 Kilometers of Road Chaos Cripples Sylhet Division and Brahmanbaria

A short stretch of highway—from Ashuganj to Sarail, just over 11 kilometers—has brought daily life and travel to a standstill for residents of Sylhet Division and Brahmanbaria district.

The project, assigned to an Indian contractor, has fallen severely behind schedule. Routine maintenance has also been suspended, leaving the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway riddled with potholes and constant traffic congestion.

To address the crisis, the Ministry of Road Transport has issued strict deadlines to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and formed a 12-member monitoring committee. A field camp has been set up in Sarail, where engineers have been instructed to stay on-site and supervise repair and construction around the clock.

According to ministry officials, the situation is being handled as an emergency. The Transport and Bridges Ministry adviser, Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan, is scheduled to visit Ashuganj on Wednesday to inspect the condition and ongoing work.

Daily Suffering for Commuters

Ferdous Bhuiyan, a government employee who works in Sylhet and lives in Ashuganj, shared his ordeal. On Sunday, he left by bus at 6 a.m. What used to be a three-hour journey now takes nearly double the time. Just crossing the Sarail intersection alone took more than two hours. Over the past year, his weekly commute has turned into a six-hour trip each way.

During the recent Durga Puja holidays, traffic backups stretched nearly 34 kilometers, from the Ashuganj roundabout through Sarail, Shahbazpur Bridge, and into Madhabpur in Habiganj.

Contractor Failures and Government Pressure

Officials confirm that the expansion of the highway was being financed with Indian loan assistance. The contractor failed to meet deadlines and has faced penalties. Authorities have now demanded visible progress within one month and completion of the work by December.

Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, Md. Ehsanul Haque, said disciplinary action has already been taken. He added that the halted section must show improvement quickly.

Over 1,000 buses and countless private vehicles, microbuses, freight trucks, tourists, and international travelers use the route daily. The road’s poor condition has caused widespread suffering.

Committee and Responsibilities

The new 12-member committee, led by AKM Rezaul Karim, the project director for the Dhaka–Sylhet four-lane upgrade, includes officials from the RHD headquarters, Cumilla zone, Brahmanbaria road circle, and project engineers. Their duties include:

• Rapid repair of damaged sections

• Restoring normal vehicle movement

• Coordinating with local administration and police to maintain traffic order

• Reporting daily progress to the RHD chief engineer

How the Situation Deteriorated

A project to expand the entire Dhaka–Sylhet Highway into four lanes is already underway. Covering 209 kilometers, the project cost is estimated at Tk 16,918 crore, including separate service lanes on both sides.

While the entire route has seen slowed traffic due to construction works, the Ashuganj segment has become nearly impassable. An RHD insider says the Indian contractor neglected maintenance of the existing road after work began, triggering this crisis.

Another related project—from the Ashuganj river port to the Bangladesh–India border at Akhaura—was launched in 2017 with a revised cost of Tk 5,791 crore (including Tk 2,982 crore in Indian funding). The deadline passed in June, but only half the work is done.

The project is divided into three packages, all awarded to India’s Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. During the pandemic, work slowed. In 2022, activity resumed, and about 300 Indian staff joined local workers. But after the fall of the Awami League government in August last year, Indian personnel left, halting work. After resuming, the contractor demanded additional funds and still didn’t repair the highway properly, leading to the current gridlock.

Officials say the interim government has decided in principle to terminate the contract for the 11.5 km stretch between Dharhar and the Akhaura border, as cross-border trade has slowed and the section is no longer prioritized. However, the 32 km between Sarail and Dharhar will continue under ongoing work.

Originally, plans included 3.5-meter service roads on both sides of the main highway. The government has now expanded that width to 5.5 meters and approved an additional Tk 164 crore for this. The money will be used to widen and repair the existing road along the Ashuganj–Sarail segment.