Severe traffic congestion grips Dhaka amid political, cultural events

Multiple political and cultural events across the capital on Sunday (August 3) led to severe traffic congestion, causing immense suffering to commuters.

To mark the anniversary of the July-August mass uprising — the first anniversary of mourning and victory — the student wing of the BNP, Chhatra Dal, will organise a rally at Shahbagh from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party (NCP) will hold a public gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, demanding the declaration and charter of July. In addition, the Saimum Artists’ Group has been hosting a ‘July Awakening’ programme at Suhrawardy Udyan since August 1. These events significantly increased pressure on city roads.

Adding to the congestion, HSC and BCS examinations are being held across the city on the same day, contributing to heavier-than-usual traffic and slow vehicular movement. Office-bound commuters faced long delays and severe difficulties reaching their destinations.

Between 8:30 am and 9:00 am, heavy traffic was reported across various parts of Dhaka, including Shyamoli and Kalyanpur. Vehicle pressure began increasing early in the morning, with public transport packed to capacity. Office-goers were seen struggling to board buses amid intense crowding at stops throughout the city.

Shamim Hossain, a private service holder waiting at the Shyamoli bus counter for a ride to Karwan Bazar, said, “There’s no space to even stand on the bus. Even if I get in, it's hard to say when I’ll reach due to this traffic.”

CNG auto-rickshaw driver Alamgir said, “It’s taking 35 minutes to travel from Technical Signal to Shyamoli. Normally, it takes no more than 10 minutes. The roads are completely jammed.”

An assistant of a ‘Thikana Paribahan’ bus added, “We didn’t face traffic before Aminbazar, but after crossing it, we’ve been stuck in congestion.”

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued a public notice on Saturday (August 2), announcing road diversions around the venues of the day’s rallies and events. The notice, signed by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali, advised commuters to use alternate routes during events organised by Chhatra Dal at Shahbagh, the NCP at the Central Shaheed Minar, and the Saimum Cultural Group at Suhrawardy Udyan for the ‘July Awakening’ programme.