Last update on: Thu May 22, 2025 01:54 PM
Several parts of the capital have been experiencing severe traffic congestion today due to demonstrations and road blockades by different political parties citing various reason.
From 10:00am, supporters of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain staged a sit-in protest, blocking the road from Nagar Bhaban (DSCC) to Kakrail via the High Court area and Matsya Bhaban.
This led to massive traffic gridlocks in the surrounding areas.
The protest also disrupted access to Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus’s residence in Jamuna, with law enforcement deployed in the area to prevent BNP supporters from approaching the premises.
At the same time, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) are holding a day-long sit-in from 10:00am to 5:00pm at Shahbagh intersection and in front of the InterContinental Hotel.
The programme was launched in protest against the recent killing of Shahriar Alam Shammo, a student of the 2018-19 session at the Institute of Education and Research, Dhaka University, and the publication secretary of the JCD’s Sir AF Rahman Hall unit. He was reportedly stabbed to death by unidentified assailants near the Bangla Academy area on campus.
JCD leaders are demanding a proper investigation, arrest of all perpetrators — including the main accused — and exemplary punishment. They also called for a safer campus environment.
Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party (NCP) is scheduled to hold a protest rally in the Jatrabari Tower area at 4:00pm, demanding the reformation of the Election Commission and reforms in local government elections.
Besides protests across the capital, a relentless spell of early morning rain plunged Dhaka into disarray, compounding the sufferings of citizens amid severe traffic congestion.
The rain, fuelled by a low-pressure system extending from West Bengal to the North Bay through south-western Bangladesh, began early in the morning and continued for nearly two hours, significantly hampering the morning commute and daily activities in one of the country’s busiest cities, according to UNB.
Many office-goers were seen stranded on waterlogged streets, waiting for transport in the downpour. Traffic moved at a snail’s pace in several areas due to waterlogging and ongoing demonstrations that brought major intersections to a standstill.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), 20mm of rainfall was recorded in Dhaka in the morning.
AKM Nazmul Haque, a meteorologist at BMD, said more rain was likely later in the day, although conditions were expected to improve from today, reports UNB.
While the rain brought temporary relief from the recent spell of scorching heat, it caused immense suffering to commuters and pedestrians alike.
