Severe traffic congestion in Dhaka, traffic police blame 2 political rallies

Traffic congestion in the capital is typically worse in the morning on any working day. Generally, the traffic is heaviest between 8:30 am and 10:30 am.

However, even during these peak hours, the kind of congestion seen this Wednesday morning on the road from Bijoy Sarani to Farmgate was unusual.

A visit from Bijoy Sarani to Karwan Bazar around 9:00 am showed there were vehicles but not a single one was moving.

A traffic police member near the Farmgate police box said that the traffic jam is up to Shahbagh, where a rally is taking place.

Following this, the traffic jam spread across the entire city. The congestion had become severe at the time of writing of this report around 1:00 pm.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's additional commissioner (traffic) Md Sarwar said Chhatra Dal and Juba Dal would hold a youth rally in the capital around 12:45 pm and several hundred thousand people are expected to join it. Their leaders and activists are coming to the capital by bus from Gazipur, Narayanganj, Manikganj, and Comilla to attend the programme. Buses carrying people are also arriving from areas surrounding Dhaka. Entire capital is experiencing traffic congestion today except for some parts of Mirpur and Uttara.

Md Sarwar further said that a large crowd gathered at Shahbagh in morning after the release of Jamaat leader Azharul Islam, causing traffic jam in the area, and that was the start. Chhatra Dal’s rally increased the congestion. Dhaka city is seeing such heavy traffic jam because of the two political gatherings.

A long tailback appeared on the elevated expressway passing near Karwan Bazar, where many people were seen, from a high-rise, leaving their buses stuck in traffic and starting to walk.

Md Sarwar said that all entry points into the city experience additional traffic pressure today. Everyone from DMP’s deputy commissioners to inspectors is working in the field to manage the situation. Efforts are underway to control the traffic jam as much as possible.

Private service holder Nadim Mahmud is stuck in the Mogbazar area. He said, “I stood at Shahbagh for an hour in the morning. Now that I am in Mogbazar, but no rickshaw is moving and buses are completely stuck.”

Traffic sources said that there is little possibility of improving traffic situation until evening.