Citizens trapped in traffic as politics paralyse Dhaka

Staff Reporter :

Dhaka came to a standstill from Wednesday morning due to separate political programmes organised by affiliated bodies of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. The rallies have triggered severe traffic congestion across the capital, resulting in immense suffering for thousands of commuters.

Major city areas including Shahbagh, Tejgaon, Kakrail, Paltan, Motijheel, Agargaon, Jatrabari, and parts of Old Dhaka were overwhelmed by tailbacks stretching for kilometres. The congestion severely disrupted movement throughout the day.

Office-goers and pedestrians have faced acute hardship since the early hours, with conditions deteriorating further in the afternoon as school holidays added to the volume of traffic. Students, teachers and guardians were particularly affected, with many stranded for hours.

On-site visits to several key locations in the city on Wednesday (28 May) confirmed the dire situation.

Traffic police have attributed the gridlock primarily to the political rallies.