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battered roads on Dhaka-Rajshahi and Dhaka-Bogura highways might cause sufferings to people.

Although Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday directed the authorities to complete the repair works of all dilapidated roads three days before Eid, many of the regional and district roads could not be repaired within the deadline.

A total of 565km roads and highways under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) have been damaged by recent floods across the country. Of them, 107km are national highways, 51km regional highways and 405km district roads, according to data compiled by the RHD central control room till July 31.

SHIMULIA-KATHALBARI

FERRY ROUTE

Operation of vessels on Shimulia-Kathalbari ferry route remained suspended since 10:00am yesterday due to rough waves and strong currents in the Padma, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded at the Shimulia terminal.

Over 700 light and heavy vehicles, including around 50 buses, had been stranded at the Shimulia end of the ferry route since morning.

Kamal Hossain, employee of a private bank, along with his wife reached Shimulia around 9:00am on way to Gopalganj.

“We could not catch the last ferry that left the terminal around 10:00am as the ferry was occupied with people who reached there before us. We waited there for around nine hours as operations of launches and speedboats have also been suspended since morning,” Kamal said.

Talking to this newspaper over the phone at 6:25pm, he said they were returning to Dhaka.

Ferry services at the terminal remained suspended till filling of this report at 7:30pm.

WAIT AT TRAIN STATION

Thousands of people thronged the Kamalapur Railway Station since morning yesterday. The rush got bigger in the afternoon. Those who bought advance train tickets on July 29 (the first day of sale of advance tickes) left Dhaka yesterday.

People going to the northern and western districts had to suffer delays as at least five trains ran behind schedule by 1-3 hours. Two other trains bound for Mymensingh and Kishoreganj were also delayed.

The other trains ran on schedule. A total of 52 trains were scheduled to leave the station yesterday.

Monir Hossain, a private university student, said, “I had collected a ticket of Silkcity Express after waiting at the counter for about 11 hours. The delay in train schedule now is causing suffering to me.”

Asked about the reason for the delays, Aminul Hoque, station manager at Kamalapur Railway Station, said holidaymakers usually take a long time to embark and disembark trains at their respective stations, resulting in such delays.

Besides, damage to a coach caused delay of Kishoreganj Express, he added.

ROAD TRAFFIC SMOOTH

Although the conditions of Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet Highways are better, vehicles bound for northern districts slowed down after crossing the Bangabandhu Bridge.

Mosharref Hossain, general manager of Hanif Paribahan, said the authorities should deploy additional law enforcers to keep the traffic situation under control when the home rush reach its pick.

He demanded all repair works be stopped for now.

Meanwhile, Alamgir Kabir, joint director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Dhaka Sadargaht, said rush of passengers will start from today after office hour.

Our Munshiganj correspondent Farhana Mirza contributed to this report.