News / Floods swamp highways in Bangladesh, truckers stranded in 40km queue

The devastating flood in Bangladesh, spread across 11 districts, affecting nearly 4.5 million people and killing at least 13 so far, is also hampering export-import activities.

Flooding, from incessant rain in the south-east and from the Indian state of Tripura, has swamped many parts of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, the main cargo route.

Export-laden trucks from Dhaka and elsewhere have faced obstructions, diversions and delays in reaching depots in Chittagong, the prime seaport. In some places, the highway was reportedly waist-deep in water, creating a 40km traffic jam.

Truck driver Masud Rana told a local newspaper he had left Chittagong yesterday afternoon but, after travelling only 100km, remains stuck in congestion.

Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association, said during the past 24 hours the Chittagong inland depots had received 2,100 export cargo-carrying trucks – 1,000 fewer than on the previous day.

“Usually we receive some 3,500 trucks a day,” he told The Loadstar. He added that normally some 900 trucks would leave the depots every day carrying imported cargo, but in the past 24 hours only around 630 trucks had done so.

Meanwhile, the Met office says there is no possibility of the rainfall lessening in the next three days.