Commuters experienced immense sufferings on the roads since morning on Wednesday due to heavy traffic congestion, mainly caused by many protest programmmes held by different groups on the streets across the capital city of Dhaka.
Besides, heavy rainfall throughout the morning, going into the afternoon, only exacerbated the traffic jams.
Many of the city dwellers were seen walking to their destinations as vehicles remained stuck at different points, including Karwan Bazar, Badda, Agargaon, Paltan, Press Club, Mirpur and Farmgate areas.
Many others had to wait for a long time to avail public transports.
Shop owners and employees of Bashundhara City Shopping Complex blocked a part of the Karwan Bazar roundabout in Dhaka on Wednesday morning, demanding resignation of the market's in-charge and a reduction in shop rent. The Mirpur-10 roundabout and nearby areas saw huge
traffic congestion as teachers of primary schools blocked the roads in the area around midday.
"The traffic movement was very slow in Mirpur area. I was stuck for around 30 minutes in one place," said a motorcyclist who was heading towards Farmgate through the Mirpur-10 intersection.
Press Club, Paltan and nearby areas saw huge traffic jam as well, as several hundred doctors marched towards Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council in the Bijaynagar area, to realise their nine-point demands, including restricting use of the ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ prefix to only MBBS and BDS degree holders.
Besides, employees of different government offices and different projects took to the street with various demands in Agargaon and Jatiya Press Club areas.
The Traffic Gulshan Division posted on its Facebook page that students gathered in Gulshan-2 intersection, creating intense traffic jams.
Not only on Wednesday, protest programmes have been taking place at different places across the capital since last week by various groups under the banners of different government, non-government and privet organisations causing traffic jams and sufferings to city dwellers.
Road crash causes 8km tailback on Dhaka-Ctg highway
Hundreds of vehicles and commuters remained stuck in an eight-kilometre-long tailback on Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Wednesday morning following an accident in Narayanganj's Langalbandh area.
A lorry overturned in Langalbandh area early Wednesday, said Rajaul Haque, officer-in-charge of Kanchpur Highway Police Station.
The lorry was removed by police on getting information, the OC said around 11:00am, adding that police were trying to clear highway.
A bus driver, Rahmat Ullah, said that it took him an hour to reach Madanpur from Kanchpur area. Normally, it takes a few minutes, he added.
