Rain compounds woes of Dhaka dwellers

Many low-lying areas of Dhaka, including Malibagh, Mouchak, Arambagh, Motijheel, Santinagar, Rokeya Sarani, Badda, Merul, Manda, and Rampura, were inundated following incessant rain caused by depression formed in the Bay of Bengal. Commuters, mostly school- and office-goers, faced sufferings while going to their destinations in the morning due to severe traffic jam triggered by heavy rain. The country has been experiencing heavy downpour since Tuesday night due to depression formed in the Bay. Under the influence of the depression, a deep convection is taking place over North Bay and its adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh. Severe traffic congestion was seen in Shahbagh, Shantinagar, Mohammadpur, Malibagh, Mirpur, Gulshan, Banani areas, as roads of those areas were submerged by rainwater. Motorised vehicles were seen moving slowly on the streets, creating traffic congestion in the areas. Apart from this, a good number of vehicles went out of order in Malibagh and Shantinagar when water entered the engines. Shahida Quader, a resident of Banasree, told the Dhaka Tribune that while returning home from her office in Dhanmondi 15, she remained stuck on the road for hours because of traffic gridlock as many roads had gone under knee-deep water. She said: “Today [yesterday] I came to my home around 8pm, but usually I come to my home from workplace by 6pm.” Presence of students was also very thin at educational institutions. Ashru Rozario, a teacher of Saint Francis Xaviers Girls’ High School, told the Dhaka Tribune that most students of the school were absent on the day. Many city dwellers alleged that drivers of rickshaws and CNG-run autorickshaws demanded excessive fares from them, taking advantage of the rough weather. Nurul Islam Tito, an employee of a private company in Gulshan, said: “The fare of CNG-run autorickshaw from Pallabi to Gulshan 2 is Tk120 to Tk150, but today I had to pay Tk250.” In Dhaka district, 31mm rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours before 6pm yesterday, according to Dhaka met office.