Traffic goes haywire

Jatiya Sanchalan Parishad, a platform of non-government organisations, march in procession on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue yesterday afternoon, demanding completion of war crimes trial. The procession blocked traffic on the busy thoroughfare, triggering severe congestion on other parts of the capital. Photo: Palash Khan

A CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, Jalil waited exactly an hour at the Farmgate Police Box intersection yesterday before the traffic signal went green and he could drive towards Khilgaon.
"Believe it or not, I stopped here at 4:30pm and now fare meter of my CNG [auto-rickshaw] is showing 60 minutes as its waiting period," an annoyed Jalil told The Daily Star as he described the horrific traffic situation in the evening.
Like him, all commuters in Dhaka had to remain stuck for hours at different points yesterday because leaders of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance occupied the streets to stage protest and place their demands.
After talking to the auto-rickshaw driver, this Star correspondent walked towards Khamarbari from the Farmgate Police Box signal to have a firsthand experience of traffic congestion in the area that usually remains free on weekends.
It took him 35 minutes to reach Monipuri Para signal -- around a kilometer distance from Farmgate Police Box but the tailback did not end there. Vehicles were seen stuck till Bijoy Sharani intersection [towards Monipuri Para end].
Traffic sergeants who were on duty in Farmgate said the unbearable traffic congestion in the area was caused by the mass rally of the ruling alliance in front of the Baitul Mukarram mosque.
Other areas also witnessed severe traffic jam as the party leaders and activists before and after the rally marched through them in processions.
Hundreds of leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate bodies from different parts of the capital brought out processions with banners, festoon and placards to join the rally. And as the rally ended, they again paraded through Noor Hossain Square, Paltan intersection, the Jatiya Press Club and Matsya Bhaban up to Suhrawardy Udyan.
Commuters who shuttle between long distances suffered most as vehicular movement was suspended on roads leading to the rally venue, Paltan.
Police diverted traffic from Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoy Nagar, Zero Point [in front of GPO] and Dainik Bangla. That increased traffic pressure on the roads in their adjacent areas, resulting in long tailbacks.
Vehicles could not move on both sides of these roads during the rally and processions that continued for more than three hours.
The situation did not come back to normal even after the post-rally procession dispersed. Hundreds of people were seen waiting at Shahbagh, Banglamotor and Farmgate intersections for transports in the evening.
Many of them blamed the rally and processions for their sufferings and said such type of political programmes should have taken place outside the capital where traffic movement is less.
"I don't understand why the government is so foolish that its own party was causing sufferings to people in the name of holding rally and procession," said Rafiq, a CNG driver, who remained stuck at Shahbagh intersection for over 45 minutes.
Home-goers found the situation more painful after their long hours at offices and work.
"For not getting any transport, I came to Farmgate on foot from Gulistan. But the situation is same here -- I have been waiting for around 45 minutes at Farmgate," Reza Chowdhury, an employee of a private company, said. He was to go to Mahakhali.
Ataur, a businessman waiting at Khamarbari intersection, said most of the passenger buses kept their doors closed as those were already overloaded.
"When I tried to get into a Mirpur-bound bus forcibly, the helper almost pushed me back, saying the bus was a sitting service," said Khijir Hayat, a service holder, at Khamarbari.
Traffic congestion at Banglamotor intersection was so bad that motorcyclist Milton could not find that little space he required to escape jam.
"Usually other days I could manage to slide through little spaces between vehicles. But today the situation is horrific -- vehicles have not even left that little spaces vacant," Milton, who works in a pipe line manufacturing company, said with utter frustration.