After passing horrific time stuck in severe traffic jam in the past two days, commuters in Dhaka breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday as many residents left the capital on a 3-day vacation.

The number of vehicles was relatively thin in the capital as Thursday was the public holiday to be followed by two weekends. Many Dhaka dwellers left the capital for home or tourist spots and resorts to spend the holidays.

But the huge rush of holidaymakers created long tailbacks on different highways.

UNB Cumilla correspondent reports: Hundreds of vehicles and commuters got stuck in a 12-kilometer long tailback on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Cumilla on Thursday afternoon.

On the occasion of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu's birthday and National Children's Day, weekly holiday and Holy Shab-e Barat, people got a three-day holiday from Thursday to Saturday which created huge pressure of vehicles on the highway, said Zahurul Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Daudkandi Highway Police Station.

Vehicles are moving slowly from Iliotgaj to Daudkandi's Jinglatoli, causing sufferings to commuters

Besides, renovation work is going on in some parts of the highway and so vehicles are moving on two-lanes instead of four-lanes.

A traveller, Ruhul Amin, said, "I have been stuck in Daudkandi's Shahidnagar for two hours. I don't know when the vehicles will move."

Another commuter Nizam Uddin, who left Cumilla for Dhaka said he reached his destination about three hours later due to an unusual traffic jam.

Not only at Daudkandi on Dhaka-Chittagong highway, commuters witnessed intermittent traffic jams also in Narayanganj and other parts of the highway.

Zahurul said they are working to clear the highway to ease traffic movement.