The multi-billion-dollar Padma Bridge, opened in 2022, transformed travel to Bangladesh’s 21 southern districts by ending long river-crossing delays and cutting journey times. But its benefits have been undermined by narrow highways and reckless driving, leaving the route increasingly dangerous.
The two-lane Bhanga–Kuakata highway and narrow connecting roads to several districts have become notorious for fatal crashes and chronic congestion, exposing thousands of passengers to daily risks and lengthy delays.
Mounting public frustration spilled onto the streets on Wednesday as nearly half a million people formed a 30-kilometre human chain in Patuakhali, demanding a six-lane highway to make the route safer.
The 47-kilometre Madaripur section is particularly perilous, narrowing to just 24 feet compared to the 32-foot-wide stretches in Faridpur and Barishal.
Since the Padma Bridge’s opening, high-speed long-distance buses and heavy cargo trucks have surged onto the highway.
Yet, a total lack of alternative routes forces slow-moving local transport like battery-powered three-wheelers, Mahindras, and Nasimans onto the exact same narrow tarmac.
Consequently, collisions are frequent. The Gaurnadi Highway Police Station in Barishal reports over a hundred fatalities on this road annually.
Alarmingly, the initiative to upgrade the 211-kilometre Faridpur- Barishal and Barishal-Payra-Kuakata national highways into a six-lane network, complete with two dedicated service lanes for slow, small vehicles, is more than a decade old.
Acting on a consulting firm’s studies, a separate Tk1,857 crore project was approved in February 2018 to acquire roughly 3,500 hectares of land.
This acquisition was meant to wrap up by June 2021. By 2023, Tk258 crore was transferred to the Madaripur Deputy Commissioner’s office specifically for local land acquisition, yet visible progress remains non-existent while property prices have soared.
On 10 May 2025, M Sakhawat Hossain, the interim government’s adviser to the Ministry of Shipping and Labour and Employment, told reporters in Barishal, “The six-lane highway from Bhanga to Patuakhali has been approved. I hope the work will start soon. There will be a six-lane highway up to Kuakata in stages.”
However, the project stalled entirely during that interim government’s tenure.
Roads and Highways Department officials reveal that the expansion is deadlocked because no donor agency has stepped forward to fund construction. Munshi Masudur Rahman, Sub-Divisional Engineer of the Madaripur RHD, told TIMES of Bangladesh, “The necessary funds for the road expansion have been transferred to the district administration.”
Initiatives have already been taken to expand the road 6 kilometres from Tekerhat, he said, the remaining part will be done in phases. However, he could provide no specific start date.
Meanwhile, Madaripur Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development and Human Resources) Jewel Ahmed merely said, “Necessary measures will be taken to expand the Dhaka-Barishal Highway.”
Traffic surges, lives lost
Following the opening of the Padma Bridge, daily traffic on the Dhaka-Barishal highway has shot up from a 2019 average of 19,000 vehicles to between 30,000 and 32,000.
This massive influx has made driving here highly problematic and perilous.
In the past five months alone, at least 35 people have lost their lives and 50 were injured in accidents spanning 30 different spots along the 47-kilometre Madaripur section.
The deadliest incident occurred on 18 January this year, when a bus lost control and crushed an easy bike in Ghatakchar, Madaripur Sadar Upazila, killing seven on the spot. Just five days prior, on 13 January, a covered van collision in Tantibari claimed the lives of three van passengers.
Commuter Enamul Haque Santu told TIMES, “The demand to upgrade the highway to six lanes has been long-standing. If this expectation is fulfilled, the accident rate will decrease to a great extent.”
Another passenger, Aminur Rahman Reagan, noted, “The road in Madaripur is very narrow compared to Barishal and Faridpur. Moreover, there is no soil on the side of the road in many places… Fast vehicles also have problems in giving way.”
Trucker Haider Ali added, “Driving on this road is very difficult due to the slow moving three-wheelers.”
Mamun Al Rashid, Officer-in-Charge of Mustafapur Highway Police Station, told TIMES, “Regular patrols have been increased on the highway. Legal action is being taken against illegal vehicles. Check posts are being set up… and fines are also being imposed.”
30-kilometre human chain in Patuakhali
Spanning a massive 30-kilometre route from the tourist hub of Kuakata to the gateway of Kalapara, over half a million people stood united on Wednesday between 10 am and 12 noon.
This extraordinary, two-hour simultaneous gathering under the civil society banner was a powerful plea for the rights and survival of the south’s neglected population.
Protesters alleged that the national budget announced in parliament failed to provide the desired allocations for southern development.
Nine crucial demands were issued from the demonstration, chief among them the urgent upgrade of the Bhanga-Kuakata Highway to six lanes.
Other vital demands included making Payra Port fully operational and constructing the Barishal-Bhola Bridge.
Protesters also called for converting Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College into a university to significantly elevate the quality of healthcare services for southern districts.
