Dhaka city dwellers have suffered immensely for hours due to severe traffic congestion on almost all major roads including Shahbagh, Banglamotor, Moghbazar, Satrasta, Tejgaon, Mohakhali, Banani, Farmgate, Kawranbazar, Panthapath, and Dhanmondi.
The gridlock happened as Dhaka North Awami League (AL) organised a procession protesting the threat to kill Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Dhaka North Awami League president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman and general secretary MA Mannan Kachi led the protest procession from Satrasta to Dhanmondi-32.
Tens of thousands of Awami League activists, women participated in the procession. Leaders and activists of various thanas and units of Awami League also joined and chanted slogans against the BNP.
Hundreds of public and private vehicles were stuck on various points of the city roads causing untold suffering to the commuters in the hot summer weather.
Passengers remained stranded for hours on the roads due to the protest procession. Many people were seen walking on the footpaths leaving public transport to reach their destinations.
Rickshaw pullers were also charging additional fares from the passengers in the local streets.
Rafiqul Islam, a journalist, was scheduled to reach the office at 4pm. But he didn’t reach the office even one hour later.
“I am used to facing daily traffic gridlock from Kazipara to Shewrapara and Farmgate to Kawranbazar. I always start my journey considering the jam. But today, it was unexpected for me. I left my bus from Khamarbari and started walking. Around half an hour later, I reached the Banglamotor intersection. Being tired, at one stage I stopped walking and waited for the bus. I have faced an unbearable situation today due to traffic congestion. This is too much.”
A mother with her children was returning home from the school echoed him and described their sufferings also.
Dhaka North Unit of Awami League on Wednesday expressed sorrow for the sufferings of the citizens of the capital.
The people of Dhaka were stuck on the streets for a long time for the procession of the unit of the Awami League.
The North unit of the ruling party started their procession from Karwan Bazar FDC gate in the late noon where all units of the Awami League of the area joined the procession.
The procession was organised to protest against the conspiracy and threat of the BNP to kill Sheikh Hasina.
North Awami League also said that all followers, leaders and mass people spontaneously joined the procession which was outnumbered.
SOURCE: UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH