Sirajganj, May 24 -- Thousands of Eid holidaymakers heading to northern Bangladesh have started getting relief from chronic highway congestion following the opening of a long-awaited flyover lane at the Hatikumrul Interchange in Sirajganj.

The newly opened Bogura- and Rangpur-bound flyover lane at the country's key northern gateway was opened on Thursday ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to ease mounting traffic pressure on one of the nation's busiest highway corridors.

The Hatikumrul intersection serves as a major junction linking Dhaka with Pabna, Rajshahi, Bogura, Rangpur and Dinajpur, with thousands of vehicles using the route every day.

During the Eid rush, nearly 52,000 vehicles - including long-distance buses - travel through the corridor da...