Dhaka, Feb. 27 -- Traffic on the Shariatpur-Chandpur Highway, a vital link for 21 southern and south-western districts, has been suspended since Friday morning after two trucks broke down on a dilapidated stretch of road.

The disruption began around 8am when a sand-laden truck became disabled on a rundown culvert in Madhyapara.

While light vehicles initially used an under-construction diversion road, a second truck broke down there at 2pm, completely halting all movement.

The gridlock has left over 200 vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway, causing immense suffering for passengers and transport workers.

Roads and Highways Department (RHD) officers said a Tk 8.6 billion project to reconstruct the 35km road from Manohar Bazar t...