Processions disrupt traffic, commuters suffer

19 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Mukhlesur Rahman

City streets experienced less traffic yesterday as owners kept their vehicles off the streets fearing staggering gridlock because of the grand rally of BNP at Paltan in the city. The photo was taken from Farmgate area.Photo: STAR

Mahbubur Rahman impatiently kept asking his bus driver to pull away defying traffic signal in the city's Paltan intersection at about 11:30am yesterday, as the police stopped traffic for about 20 minutes to allow a BNP procession pass through the intersection. Like Mahbub, thousands of commuters had to go through untold suffering because most of the city streets were gridlocked, as processions from all corners of the city were heading towards Paltan Maidan, the venue of BNP's grand rally. But the traffic scenario changed completely in the afternoon as most city dwellers stayed indoor and many owners kept their vehicles off the street fearing further traffic congestion after the rally or untoward incidents. Stuck in the gridlock, Mahbub was looking at his wristwatch repeatedly as he was worried about his six-year-old daughter who was waiting to be picked up by him at a coaching centre at Mouchak. Mahbub, a trader, said he was supposed to reach the coaching centre by 11:00am, but he finally reached Malibagh intersection near the Mouchak at about 12:30pm. To avoid tailbacks, many buses did not go through the Gulistan area. Muslem, a helper of a bus, said, “We were going to Gulistan from Gulshan in the morning but had to return back from Kakrail intersection as the road to Gulistan was gridlocked and the vehicles were moving inch by inch due to processions.” Many buses also remained off the road fearing possible untoward incidents, he said at around 3:00pm when the traffic scenario got changed. Mohammad Shaheen, a resident of East Shewrapara, said, “On my way to Karwan Bazar office at about 1:00 pm, I noticed that less vehicles are plying Begum Rokeya Sarani and Farmgate areas.” Many city dwellers did not take out their private cars to the street fearing severe congestion and untoward incidents. Nishi Begum, a resident of Gulbagh, said, “I did not take my daughter to her college [at Farmgate], as I did not take out my car from my parking garage to avoid any untoward incidents.” Since the morning, BNP activists in their thousands started coming to Paltan Maidan from the districts of Dhaka division by buses, minibuses and other vehicles while more activists in the city marched towards the rally venue in processions, disrupting normal life in the capital. However, traffic became thin at noon as a number of city dwellers did not take out their vehicles to streets fearing untoward incidents, said Joint Commissioner (traffic) Shafiqur Rahman of DMP. He also said, “We have provided foolproof security to the city dwellers as well as the rally goers.” Traffic around the rally venue apparently came to a standstill in the morning as the BNP activists parked their buses and other vehicles at various points in the city including Hatkhola, Joykali Mandir, Khilgaon Biswa Road, Rajarbagh, Matsya Bhaban, and Dhaka University areas, he added.