Desk Report,
Public transport in the capital is limited due to the rally, city residents are suffering.
Separate rallies and programs are going on in the capital’s Shahbagh, Central Shaheed Minar and Suhrawardy Udyan today. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued special instructions to control traffic in the relevant areas on Saturday in connection with these events. As a result, the number of public transport on the roads of the capital was comparatively less today. Therefore, city residents who go out for daily and emergency needs have to struggle. They demand that political parties organize such big rallies on holidays.
Public transport in the capital is limited due to the rally, city residents are suffering.
Today, the National Citizen Party (NCP) is holding a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar, and the Chhatra Dal is holding a rally at Shahbagh. In addition, the Saimum Shilpi Gosthi program is going on at Suhrawardy Udyan. Meanwhile, the BCS and HSC exams were scheduled in the morning. Jannatul Ferdous, an employee of a private organization, left for Mohakhali from the Dhaka University area. He reached Bijoy Sarani around 3 pm. There, he told Prothom Alo, “I left for Mohakhali at 2 pm. First of all, I did not find any car. Even then, what I found was that instead of taking the regular route, they are taking a detour. Since Shahbagh is closed, the car is now going to Mohakhali via Nilkhet, Dhanmondi, Manik Mia Avenue, Bijoy Sarani. Wherever it goes, there is a jam. The car is parked. The 20-25 minute journey has become more than an hour, and I am still on the way. I don’t know when I will reach my destination.’ Less public transport was seen on various roads in the capital today. Such a picture was seen on Karwan Bazar, Farmgate, Bijoy Sarani, Banani Road in the city. Apart from this, the number of private cars on the road was also less today.
At Bijoy Sarani signal, we spoke to Airport Paribahan driver Motaleb Mia and his assistant Md. Rakib. They said that from Fulbaria they regularly travel via Paltan-Press Club and Shahbagh. But due to the rally today they had to travel via Matsya Bhaban-Kakrail-Malibag-Moghbazar. In some places, they had to stay longer than other days. However, they said that there were fewer cars on the road around the rally.
We spoke to Rabiul Islam, a private employee, in front of the SAARC Fountain in Karwan Bazar in the capital. He is waiting for a car to go to the BNS Center in Uttara. Stating that he has been standing for a long time, he said, “Other days, I get a car within 5 to 10 minutes. Today, I can’t get any car. I have been standing for over half an hour. I heard that there is a rally, that’s why there are fewer cars. Political parties can hold rallies on holidays.”
Small businessman Mohammad Russell came from Malibagh to Shahbagh to see a doctor at Bangladesh Medical University. But he had to suffer a lot as the roads in Shahbagh and the surrounding areas were closed due to the rally. Later, he walked home with his child in his arms.
Mohammad Russell told Prothom Alo, “My house is in Malibagh. Since the roads were closed, I took a detour to the hospital with my child via Doel Chattar and Dhaka University area. On the way back, now I have to walk to Matsya Bhaban. After that, if I get a car, I will go to Malibagh.”
