New exit route causes public sufferings

Introduced as a security and traffic control measure, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's new exit route has apparently turned into a source of anguish for motorists having to spend around an hour travelling some four kilometres to reach a roundabout situated just outside on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

Reaching the roundabout from the airport used to take around 10 to 12 minutes. But that changed when a 200 metre stretch of a connecting road was closed off following the Gulshan cafe attack.

Vehicles which left the airport having to take a U-turn amidst heavy traffic from all sides at the edge of Jasimuddin Avenue to reach the roundabout. .Photo: Anisur Rahman

The new route takes vehicles past the airport's mosque and Sonali Bank Limited and then onto the highway. One has to go further ahead, take a U-turn at the edge of Jasimuddin Avenue and come all the way back to reach the roundabout.

Persons accompanying passengers crowd the approach road leading to the airport from the roundabout after being stopped by security personnel from proceeding further. Photo: Anisur Rahman

The red line shows the airport's closed off exit stretch, the green is the alternative route. Photo: Google Maps

The route did indeed achieve the targets, said a clearing and forwarding agent, Md Asaduzzaman Asad.

He, however, stated of seeing passengers who opted to cross the closed stretch of road on foot with their luggage on their heads and board vehicles from the roundabout.

Mojibir Rahman, a private car driver, said taking the U-turn required a wait of around 20 minutes due to the heavy traffic from all sides and from there it took another 10 to 15 minutes to reach the roundabout.

“If I consider the suffering, definitely it has increased but in terms of security grounds we should accept it,” said another driver, Md Rani.