2nd day of blockade: Significant rise in traffic movement

There was a significant rise in the number of public transport vehicles seen on Dhaka streets today, the second day of the ongoing countrywide blockade called by BNP and likeminded parties.

Traffic jams were also seen at Moghbazar, Kakrail, Motijheel and Jatrabari areas, and buses were packed with passengers, our staff correspondent reports following visits to various areas of the capital.

The movement of private cars, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and motorcycles was higher than on the first day of the blockade.

Meanwhile, no inter-district buses left Dhaka's Gabtoli bus terminal this morning during the ongoing countrywide blockade enforced by the BNP and its like-minded parties.

Several passengers eager to travel to their destinations were seen moving around the terminal since morning, our staff correspondent reports.

Liton Mia, a passenger, said he came to know that a bus of Eagle Paribahan is likely to start for Magura around 1:00pm, if there was a sufficient number of passengers at that time.

He had been waiting for that bus since morning, Liton said around noon today.

Alamgir Hossain, a ticket master of DD Paribahan, said they had taken all preparations to run long-distance buses but there were no available passengers.

He said usually in the entire day, only five buses of the service leave Dhaka.

Since there was a shortage of passengers, they did not allow any bus to leave the capital in the morning, he added.

If they get a minimum of 20 passengers, they would operate a bus on the Dhaka-Chuadanga-Darshona route at 10:15pm, he also said.

Wishing anonymity, a man who sells tickets at the counter of Hanif Paribahan, said, "We can operate a bus at night if we get enough passengers."

Bablu, a staffer at Purbasha Paribahan's ticket counter, said, "They are taking preparation to run a bus at 4:30pm for Alamdanga district as they could sell 12 tickets."