Dhaka came to a near standstill on Sunday, the first workday of the week, as two major political rallies coincided with public examinations and routine weekday traffic, plunging commuters into severe hardship.
Long tailbacks and sluggish vehicular movement were reported across the capital from early morning until midnight, leaving office-goers, students, and examinees stranded for hours.
The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) held a “Student Rally” at the Shahbagh intersection to commemorate the first anniversary of the July-August mass uprising.
Simultaneously, the National Citizen Party (NCP) organised a public assembly at the Central Shaheed Minar demanding the recognition of a “July Declaration and Charter.”
Additionally, the cultural group Saimum Shilpigoshthi hosted their “July Awakening” programme at Suhrawardy Udyan.
The overlap of these events caused significant traffic congestion in surrounding areas, including Shahbagh, the Dhaka University zone, and Ramna, paralysing normal movement.
Severe traffic was observed at key points like Shyamoli, Kallyanpur, Farmgate, and Banglamotor from Saturday morning. The usual Sunday rush was worsened by the day’s HSC and BCS examinations, putting added pressure on the already clogged streets.
On-ground reports confirmed that traffic volume increased as the morning progressed. Bus stands were crowded with frustrated passengers struggling to board overcrowded public transport. Many were seen walking long distances to reach their destinations.
“I’m trying to get to Gulistan via Farmgate, but the bus is jam-packed, and the traffic barely moves. It’s impossible to guess when I’ll arrive,” said Rahat Ahmed, a private employee waiting at Mohammadpur Bus Stand.
CNG driver Sohel Hossain noted, “It took me 35 minutes to drive from Technical Signal to Shyamoli—a trip that usually takes 10 minutes.”
In anticipation of the disruption, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) announced traffic control measures and diversions for areas near rally sites.
A public notice signed by DMP Commissioner S M Sazzat Ali, issued on Saturday, said that vehicular movement around Shahbagh, Shaheed Minar, and Suhrawardy Udyan would be restricted during the gatherings. Citizens were urged to use alternate routes.
DMP spokesperson Muhammad Talebur Rahman stated that adequate measures were in place to manage the situation. Intelligence surveillance had been stepped up, and plainclothes officers were deployed around the rally zones. Traffic police were actively working to keep key roads passable.
In a related development, DMP reported that 26 activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliated organisations were arrested in the past 24 hours for allegedly attempting to incite unrest. Four individuals were detained from a secret meeting in Bashundhara. Authorities confirmed that multiple criminal cases were pending against the arrestees.
As the city struggled under the weight of overlapping events, many residents criticised the lack of coordination between authorities and event organisers, calling for better planning to avoid such widespread disruption in the future.
