In Fulbari town, located on the Dinajpur-Gobindganj highway, there is still no bus terminal or passenger shelter even 53 years after independence. As a result, passengers are boarding and alighting from buses directly on the roads, trucks are unloading goods, and auto-rickshaws and other smaller vehicles are creating chaos, leading to severe traffic congestion. This has become a daily struggle for pedestrians, students, and people traveling for urgent work.
Locals have reported that Fulbari is a key junction for transport, with hundreds of passenger buses, trucks, and cargo vehicles passing through daily, linking northern and southern Bangladesh. However, despite the heavy traffic, the town still lacks a bus terminal. Buses stop haphazardly on the road to pick up or drop off passengers, and trucks load and unload goods directly on the road, causing constant traffic jams on both sides of the highway.
Additionally, the footpaths are occupied, making it extremely difficult for pedestrians to cross the road safely. Particularly at busy spots like the Nimtala intersection, the night coach counters, and the Bottoli intersection, buses stop on the roads, exacerbating the traffic situation. As a result, the Dinajpur-Dhaka highway in Fulbari town often faces heavy traffic congestion, with the problem worsening during festivals such as Eid.
According to Fulbari police station, from January to October this year, 21 road accidents have been recorded, resulting in 23 deaths and at least 50 injuries.
Local resident Mehedi Hasan expressed his frustration, saying, “We face daily inconvenience due to traffic jams. Vehicles stop anywhere on the road, causing congestion. If there was a bus terminal, this problem could have been alleviated.”
The president of the Dinajpur Motor Transport Workers’ Union’s Fulbari Stand branch, Mohsin Ali Sarkar, said, “We have a one-acre piece of land, but due to financial constraints, we have been unable to build a bus terminal. If the government constructs the terminal on that land, it will help reduce traffic jams, road accidents, and the haphazard stopping of long-distance vehicles in the town.”
Fulbari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Ishak Ali stated, “There are many complexities involved. Long-distance coaches don’t have a designated place to stop. We have informed the authorities about this issue, and if they take any initiative, it will be possible to resolve it.”