March, procession bring Dhaka to a halt

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) march for the ‘one-point movement’ demanding the ouster of the government and the Awami League’s ‘Peace and Development Procession’ brought the capital Dhaka to a halt on Tuesday.

The simultaneous programmes caused a long tailback on Dhaka-Aricha highway with huge traffic jam hitting the capital’s Mirpur since the morning. Vehicular movement stopped in capital’s Paltan, National Press Club, Shahbagh and Dhanmondi in the afternoon.

BNP’s march begin at Gabtoli and went on to Technical intersection, Mirpur 1, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon, Bijoy Sarani, Karwan Bazar, FDC, Moghbazar, Malibagh, Kakrail, and Naya Paltan. The BNP’s march reached the party’s Naya Paltan office at 4:15pm. After that, it went to Fakirapool, Motijheel Shapla Chottor, Ittefaq mor, Dayaganj and then ended in Ray Shaheb Bazar intersection. Vehicular movement stopped on these roads during the march.

Prothom Alo correspondent said from Paltan at 4:30pm that the march arrived in Paltan at 4:15pm. At that time, one side of the Kakrail-Paltan road came to a complete halt and vehicles moved slowly on another side.

A student rally of Awami League was held in front of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) at 3:00pm. After that, leaders and activists of Awami League’s Dhaka city south unit brought out procession and marched towards Dhanmondi 32 via Kawran Bazar and Panthapath. The procession, however, caused little traffic jam on these roads.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (Ramna division) Zainul Abedin told Prothom Alo around 4:30pm, “Vehicles moved slowly, but didn’t stop. Vehicles stop at signals, but apparently there were no acute traffic congestion.”

Prior to this, vehicles moved slowly in Ramna, Kakrail and Paltan areas, affecting the traffic across the capital. Besides, teachers at secondary level have been demonstrating in front the National Press Club, blocking the road. Vehicle movement came to a complete halt on the both side of the road in the Press Club area for a while. As a result, vehicles moved on alternative routes.

Traffic congestion was relatively less in Gulshan and Paltan areas, said Shuhhur Ali, who drives a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. He said he brought passengers from Gulshan to Paltan around 11:00am.

Awami League’s youth front Jubo League brought a procession in front of Matsya Bhaban in Ramna around 2:00pm. An on-duty police constable Md Motiar said traffic was normal until the afternoon and it started rising later.

Earlier in the morning, a 2-kilometre-long tailback appeared on the Dhaka-Aricha highway from Gabtali to the Salehpur bridge area. The BNP started its march from Gabtali bus terminal at 11:30am.

Several people said they have been stuck in traffic jam since Dhaka-bound vehicles are trapped on the road while Aricha-bound vehicles moved slowly on the other side of the road. Many passengers even got down from buses and walked to their destinations.