Traffic slows in some spots as Jamaat holds rally
Dhaka witnessed traffic congestion in some areas yesterday as thousands of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami supporters from all over the country converged on Suhrawardy Udyan for the party's national rally.
Gridlock was reported since morning across major intersections -- including Shahbagh, Bangla Motor, Karwan Bazar, Farmgate, Matsya Bhaban, Kakrail, Paltan and Jatrabari.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Meanwhile, volunteers deployed by Jamaat were seen managing traffic and maintaining order at various points.
Nearly 6,000 volunteers were positioned across 20 locations, each assigned to different divisions and wearing identifying uniforms. Fifteen medical booths were also set up in and around Suhrawardy Udyan, each staffed with two MBBS doctors, multiple beds, emergency medicine and ambulance services.
Volunteers, along with members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's traffic division, were seen urging rally participants to avoid creating noise disturbances and were helping ensure thoroughfares remained clear.
Buses carrying attendees were parked at various parts of the city, including Manik Mia Avenue, Banani and Motijheel, far from the rally venue.
As it was the weekly holiday, private vehicles and buses were relatively few on the roads.
However, metro stations were filled to the brim and many -- including rally participants -- used the service throughout the day.
The situation became normal around 7:00pm, said traffic police.
Since morning, supporters from numerous districts arrived in buses, trains and launches to participate in the rally.
The event started at 2:00pm and concluded around 5:30pm.
This was Jamaat's first-ever political rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, where the party pressed for its seven-point demand, which includes ensuring a level playing field for a free, fair, neutral and peaceful election. In the morning, many were seen walking from Nawabpur towards Purana Paltan via Zero Point. Alongside Jamaat activists, pedestrians were also making their way on foot.
Traffic Constable Kazi Zaman, stationed near Golap Shah Mazar in Gulistan, said vehicle movement was slow before 1:00pm but completely stalled afterwards.
Around 1:30pm in Gulistan, Md Mohsin Mridha, a driver of a Shadhin Express bus, said, "It took me about 35 minutes to drive from Golap Shah Mazar to Zero Point. Now the bus is completely stuck."
As his bus, heading to Mirpur, was at a standstill, many passengers had to get off at Nawabpur.
Traffic was also reported on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, especially in the Jatrabari area, as buses and microbuses carrying rally participants clogged the road. A tailback stretching several kilometres was created there, according to eyewitnesses.
Juliana Ferdous, a resident of Jatrabari, said she was unable to take her son to a coaching centre in Matuail due to the traffic.
Another local, Monirul Haq, noted the unusually high number of microbuses heading to the rally and said the majority of vehicles on the highway were carrying Jamaat supporters.
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