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BNP lawmaker Shahadat Hossain Selim has alleged that a section of the administration is “desperate” to portray the government as a failure, citing the recent 32-hour traffic gridlock on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.
In a post on his verified Facebook account on Sunday (August 30), the Lakshmipur-1 (Ramganj) MP said the severe congestion, stretching from Chandina in Cumilla to Ashariarchar in Narayanganj, caused immense suffering to travellers.
He claimed that patients died after ambulances became stranded in the traffic, while many migrant workers missed their scheduled flights due to the prolonged gridlock.
Selim said National Parliament Whip ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan, who is also responsible for coordinating development activities in Cumilla, Chandpur and Brahmanbaria, convened an emergency Zoom meeting with deputy commissioners, superintendents of police, highway police officials and Roads and Highways Department (RHD) engineers to determine the causes of the situation.
The BNP MP said he attended the meeting and observed what he described as a lack of accountability and coordination among officials.
“Despite such a major incident and immense public suffering, there was no sign of remorse or responsibility among the officials concerned,” Selim wrote.
He alleged that key officials, including RHD engineers, highway police and the Cumilla deputy commissioner, had no prior information about bridge repair work that contributed to the traffic disruption.
Selim said the parliamentary whip expressed frustration during the meeting and stressed the need for advance public notices before undertaking major road repairs. He argued that prior announcements through newspapers, television scrolls and social media could have allowed commuters to use alternative routes and avoid the crisis.
The lawmaker further claimed that even discussions with the chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department failed to reveal a positive sense of responsibility.
“I clearly feel that an influential section of the administration is desperate to prove this government a failure,” Selim wrote, calling for exemplary punishment against officials responsible for the public suffering and alleged negligence.