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Trucks stuck on highways

Police deployed to escort them amid blockade

Sarwar A Chowdhury and Dwaipayan Barua
As thousands of goods-laden vehicles got stranded for several hours on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway due to a fresh blockade yesterday, police were deployed to escort them through the violence-prone areas.
The vehicles that set off Thursday night could not reach their destinations even early yesterday as there was a huge rush on the highways during a one-day lull in political violence on Friday.
The tailback stretched for around 60-70 kilometres, and police escorted some 4,000 vehicles in phases throughout yesterday.
The congestion started to ease in the afternoon, said Md Rezaul Karim, superin-
tendent of highway police (east zone).
Some vehicles took 22-24 hours to reach their destinations on the Dhaka-Chittagong route, instead of six to seven hours on normal days.
Those who failed to reach destinations took shelter at filling stations and different points of the highway in Feni, Noakhali and Comilla to avoid attacks, according to owners and drivers of the vehicles.
Around 75,000 goods-laden trucks, covered vans and pickups set out in different parts of the country on Thursday night, said Rustam Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Owners' Association.
But only a few could reach destinations until yesterday afternoon, especially on
the Dhaka-Chittagong route, he said.
Due to a lack of transport, businesses were unable to hire a truck offering even Tk 1 lakh fora Dhaka-Chittagong trip, he added.
Maolana Shipping and Logistics, a Chittagong-based transport agency, sent fifteen container trailers to Dhaka on Thursday evening, but all the vehicles got stranded at different points in Comilla.
Abu Sayed, a driver, said fear and frustration have gripped him. "I thought I will be able to reach the destination before the fresh blockade," he said.
M/s Shuktara Transport Agency sent 40 trucks and covered vans with imported raw materials to garment factories in Dhaka, Gazipur and Savar.
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"Only 10 could reach the destinations," said Ishaque Chowdhury, owner of the business house.
David Hasanat, managing director of Viyellatex Group, a leading garment maker, said he sent 25 trucks on Friday for shipment through Chittagong port, but none could reach the port till yesterday evening.
He said they were sending their export items to the port with the help of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), which has arranged police protection for their vehicles.
Abdus Salam Murshedy, a former president of the BGMEA, said police escort goods-laden vehicles from five points in Dhaka to Kanchpur. "All the vehicles gather at Kanchpur by 10:00pm and then they start for Chittagong," he said.
Mohammed Amirul Haque, managing director of Premier Cement, said his trucks took more than 20 hours to reach Chittagong from Muktarpur in Munshiganj, though usually it takes only six to seven hours.
Haque said he had to hire a truck atTk 52,000 for a trip to Chapainawabganj. "The fare is only Tk 15,000 on normal days," he said.