One rally, too much sufferings

Jubo League, youth front of the ruling Awami League, brings out small processions from across the city to join its founding anniversary celebrations at Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday, causing gridlocks that tormented city dwellers since midday. The photo was taken at Shahbagh intersection. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Weekends usually bring a little relief to city residents from traffic jams. But that was not to be yesterday.

It took college student Nima Khan over one and a half hours to reach Farmgate from Motijheel in the afternoon, thanks to a huge traffic jam caused by a Jubo League rally at the city's Suhrawardy Udyan.

Buses, cars, and other modes of transport had to wait even up to an hour at Shahbagh, Bangla Motor, Farmgate, Moghbazar, Press Club, High Court, Gulistan, Bijoy Sarani, Katabon, Sonargaon and Ruposhi Bangla intersections, to the woes of commuters.

From main thoroughfares, traffic jam spread to the adjacent lanes and by-lanes.

There was no respite for the pedestrians either as Jubo League processions marched through the streets in these areas, leaving no space for them to walk.

Even the motorcade of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, chief guest at the rally, had to move very slowly through the Karwan Bazar area on her way back to Gono Bhaban from the meeting venue. The Jubo League is the youth front of the ruling Awami League.

At around 5:15pm, traffic was snarled up on the roads stretching from Hotel Radisson to the Prime Minister's Office at Tejgaon. Movement of traffic on the Tejgaon and Mohakhali flyovers came to a halt for about an hour. 

Talking to The Daily Star, 10th grader Nima of Motijheel Ideal School and College said she took a bus from Motijheel at 3:00pm and reached Farmgate at 4:50pm.

“Police stopped our bus at several intersections, but allowed those carrying Jubo League men to pass through,” she mentioned.

Visiting different areas near the Suhrawardy Udyan, this correspondent saw commuters walking along footpaths to reach their destinations as they failed to board any bus.

Vehicles that brought Jubo League activists to the venue were parked on the roads near the Shahbagh intersection, occupying nearly half of the roads' width.

Traffic police sources said they had to halt traffic at the Sonargaon intersection around 2:00pm for over an hour as no vehicle from Karwan Bazar could cross the roundabout towards Bangla Motor due to a huge tailback.