Broken-Down Truck Triggers 5km Traffic Jam on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway

A 13-tonne cargo truck has broken down on the Narayanganj section of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, causing a massive traffic jam that spans five kilometers. The incident, which was reported by Dhaka Post, occurred on Wednesday night, August 26, 2026, severely disrupting vehicular movement along one of the country's busiest transport corridors.

According to verified reports from the scene, the heavy vehicle malfunctioned at approximately 9:00 PM directly on the Langalband Bridge. The sudden breakdown effectively blocked the crucial Chittagong-bound lane, creating an immediate bottleneck that stretched backward from the Langalband Bridge all the way to Noyabari.

Commuters found themselves stranded for hours amidst the intense gridlock, voicing significant frustration over the unexpected delay. Salauddin, a commuter caught in the thick of the congestion, described the agonizing crawl of the journey. "I started my trip at 9 PM. I still haven't been able to pass Malibagh. I doubt whether a one-hour journey will even finish in three hours," he stated.

The situation proved particularly harrowing for families traveling with young children, who had to endure uncomfortable conditions inside stationary vehicles. Safia বেগম, another stranded passenger, shared her ordeal from the gridlocked bus: "I am stuck on the bus with a small child. Because the vehicles are not moving for a long time in this heat, the children are falling ill."

Traffic management and highway authorities, including personnel from the Kanchpur Highway Police station, faced immense challenges in restoring order along the affected stretch of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. As efforts continued to clear the disabled 13-tonne truck from the Langalband Bridge, thousands of travelers remained stuck in the five-kilometer tailback, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in highway freight management.