What should have been a joyous return home has turned into an agonising ordeal for thousands of Eid-bound travellers navigating the damaged Barishal-Faridpur highway.
The 30-kilometre stretch between Bhanga upazila and Faridpur town, vital for regional connectivity, has deteriorated into a hazardous track riddled with potholes and craters.Traffic has slowed to a crawl, as vehicles, both public and private, attempt to navigate the unstable surface. The resulting congestion has left passengers stranded in sweltering heat, while frequent vehicle breakdowns have only compounded the delays. With the region receiving intermittent monsoon showers, the already-weak road surface has further crumbled, exposing the systemic neglect of crucial infrastructure in this part of Bangladesh.
Eid, traditionally a time of joy and familial reunion, has been overshadowed by mounting frustration, fatigue, and rising safety concerns. Passengers travelling at night express growing anxiety over the possibility of robberies in the dark, where slow traffic and breakdown-prone vehicles make easy targets. While local police have stepped up patrols and divided the highway into four safety zones, fear continues to ride alongside hope for many travellers.
Faridpur Superintendent of Police Md Abdul Jalil attempted to reassure commuters, stating that additional night patrols have been mobilised to ensure safety and reduce risks. “There is no reason to panic. We are on high alert and ready to respond to any incident,” he said.But for many in the region, the issue is not new. Locals and transport workers say the road’s decline has been years in the making, exacerbated by poor drainage, lack of timely maintenance, and administrative apathy. Following recent rains, many of the smaller potholes have merged into gaping craters, swallowing tyres and wrecking suspensions.
Abul Hossain, a microbus driver, described the conditions as “borderline impassable.” “From Bhanga to Faridpur, I couldn’t go over 15 kmph. I was heading to the airport but arrived hours late. The vehicle took a beating, and every kilometre felt like a risk — not just mechanical, but criminal,” he said.With road links to at least ten districts reliant on this corridor, the collapse in infrastructure has ripple effects across the region — disrupting livelihoods, choking logistics, and endangering commuters.
In response to mounting criticism, Shafiqul Rahman, sub-divisional engineer of the Faridpur Roads and Highways Department, claimed that emergency patchwork is underway to make the road “temporarily passable.” But transport operators and local residents say such measures fall far short of the systemic overhaul the road network needs.As the festival week peaks, thousands remain caught between broken roads and broken promises. While community resilience and police vigilance offer a temporary shield, the long-term solution lies in sustainable infrastructure planning that resists seasonal collapse.
Until then, Eid journeys will remain cautionary tales of what happens when public infrastructure fails the people it is meant to serve.
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