Shawdesh desk:

Cyclone Sitrang, which lashed Bangladesh with gusty wind and accompanied rain on Monday, caused massive disruptions on roads and railways in various parts of the country, resulting in immense suffering of people.

Following water stagnation on the Dhaka-Mymensingh national highway, huge traffic congestion was seen in the capital and Gazipur district.

The schedules of trains in the west zone of the Bangladesh Railway, which includes the country’s northern and southern districts, were completely disrupted by falling trees, derailments, and mechanical failures.

The trains ran up to five hours late on Tuesday, and one train on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route cancelled its journey due to a disruption in train schedules.

The cyclone crossed the Barishal-Chattogram coast near Bhola around 9:00pm and rapidly weakened into a depression, causing heavy rain, according to the met office.

Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday at an event in the city said that the waterlogging on the  Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was the consequence of the government’s unplanned mega-development.

Due to huge traffic gridlock, it took hours to reach the capital’s Uttara area from Khilkhet point on the Dhaka-Mymensingh national highway, one of the busiest highways in the country.

The traffic congestion also spreads in the adjacent areas.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police, in a press release on Tuesday, requested people not to use the highway from Khilkhet to Gazipur stretch via Uttara for the day without any emergency as big holes were created in the Gazipur area due to heavy rainfall during the cyclone.

New Age correspondent in Gazipur reported that since Tuesday morning, potholes were seen at different points on the highway – especially at Army Welfare Bhaban, Milgate, and Station road areas in Tongi – while the ongoing work of the Bus Rapid Transit Line 3 project intensified the public suffering.

Vehicles were seen stranded at different points of the highway on both sides from the Tongi to Uttara areas.

Syed Shamsur Raihan, a resident of the Cherag Ali area in Tongi, said that many had to skip the office because of traffic congestion on the highway.

On the Mymensingh route, Alam Asia Paribahan bus passenger Shamsul Alam said that there was no scope for walking on the road because of its bad condition.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police traffic inspector Sazzad Hossain said that traffic congestion was seen on both sides of the highway.

He added that the situation was dire in the Milgate area because the road was getting narrower due to ongoing BRT line 3 construction.

GMP joint commissioner [traffic] Alamgir Hossain said that they were working to ease the traffic congestion.

On Monday night, at least three trains fell in accidents, confirmed Bangladesh Railway west zone general manager Asim Kumar Talukder.

A tree fell in front of the Padma Express on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route at Mirzapur station in Tangail and the train left the spot only on Tuesday morning after the cutting of the tree.

‘Due to the late schedule of this train, we cancelled the Banalata Express train on the same route,’ said Asim Kumar.

The wheels of the Silkcity Express on the Rajshahi-Dhaka route got derailed at the Rajshahi rail station, which left the station after around three hours of rescue.

The Sirajganj Express on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route derailed at the Dhaka Airport station also, the general manager said, adding that the train schedules would become normal today [Wednesday].

Many trees fell on the Faridpur-Rajbari route on Monday night, though no train was scheduled to run on the route at that time, he added.

Till 7:00pm on Tuesday, Lalmoni Express on the Lamonirhat-Dhaka route was running over five hours behind the schedule, Sundarban Express on the Dhaka-Khulna route was running around five hours behind the schedule, Nilsagar Express on the Dhaka-Chilahati and Silkcity Express on the Dhaka-Rajshahi routes were running around three hours behind their schedules, Drutajan Express on the Panchagarh-Dhaka route was running around two hours, and Rangpur Express on the Dhaka-Rangpur route was running around one hour behind the schedule.

Md Mustafizur Rahman, superintendent (headquarters), told New Age that the cyclone uprooted some trees on the Dhaka-Chattogram national highway on Monday night, disrupting communications.

‘Some trees were uprooted at the Kanchpur point and between Meghna bridge and Daudkandi, but we, with the help of fire service members, quickly removed the trees,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka-Barishal national highway was closed for several hours due to uprooted trees, said locals.