The Habiganj Bypass has turned into a dumping ground for municipal garbage, causing serious disruptions to traffic and posing health risks to residents and commuters alike.

Garbage dumped along the roadside is now spilling over onto the main carriageway while the stench from the growing piles of waste has made the road nearly impassable for both pedestrians and vehicles.

"This is one of the busiest roads in the city, but every day we are forced to cover our nose and mouth even while inside vehicles," said Bappy Rahman, a pedestrian.

The bypass road runs past key landmarks including Brindaban Government College, Habiganj Modern Stadium, and the Ansar Academy.

Abdul Hakim, a professor in the accounting department of Brindaban Government College, said teachers and students travelling on the bypass road are suffering due to the pile of garbage.

"When there is a lot of wind, a bad smell spreads throughout the campus," he said.

This is not the first time the issue has surfaced. During the tenure of former mayor Ataur Rahman Selim, the municipality, in coordination with the district administration, had temporarily shifted the dumping site to a designated area outside the city. However, the effort failed to yield long-term results, as garbage returned to the bypass within weeks.

Tofazzal Sohel, general secretary of the Habiganj unit of Bapa (Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon), recommended three immediate actions: the municipal authorities must urgently allocate and secure a permanent, environmentally approved landfill site outside the city; implement a door-to-door waste collection system with proper segregation of organic and inorganic materials; and launch a public awareness campaign about waste disposal responsibilities.

Md Zahidur Rahman, administrator of Habiganj municipality, said, "Around 30 tonnes of waste are generated in the municipality every day. Initially, we place the waste along the bypass road before moving it to a permanent dumping site. The entire process is under our supervision."When asked whether the waste is being restricted from being dumped at a designated site, he replied, "I have no such information."