N’ganj AL rally disrupts commute

Vehicular movements on both sides of the highway came to a standstill after 3:00pm as hundreds of AL leaders and activists from across the district started gathering on the heavily-busy highway to attend an AL rally titled ‘Towards forming a drug, terrorism and militancy free Narayanganj’, organised for a showdown of the probable councilor candidates for the next city corporation polls and supporters of AL lawmaker Shamim Osman. Since 2:00pm yesterday, AL activists and supporters from different areas of Bandar, Siddhirganj, Roopganj, Sonargaon and Fatulla police stations, carrying banners and festoons bearing Shamim Osman’s name, started flocking at the rally field bringing one after another processions, putting a halt to all traffic movements on the highway. By 3:00pm, Dhaka’s communication with Narayaganj and Munshiganj disrupted totally for long three hours. Khadija Akter, a passenger of Ananda Paribahan with her eight-month old child, boarded her bus at 2:30 to go to Postagola but was stuck at Jamtola crossing until 5:00pm in the traffic jam. From Chshara intersection, the main bus terminal of the city, no Dhaka-bound bus left as processions from different thanas of the district at first gathered there, before moving towards the venue of the rally through the highway. “During the whole last week, supporters of Shamim Osman put all their efforts to make the rally successful. It must be said that they achieved their goal, but, needless to say, in exchange of sufferings of thousands of fellow citizens,” said a trader of the city wishing anonymity. Like many others, he also failed to go to Dhaka even after waiting two hours in the traffic jam. At the rally, most of the speakers, instead of discussing drug, terrorism and militancy issues as the title of the rally suggests, praised Shamim Osman more than anything. All of them They also demanded to nominate city AL President Anwar Hossain in the next city corporation polls. In his speech as the chief guest of the rally, Shamim Osman begged pardon from the city dwellers for the troubles created due to the rally. As usual After speaking ill of Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy for some time as he ussualy does in all his speeches, he finally said, “Narayanganj AL President Anwar vai, sitting here on the stage, is a genuine Awami Leaguer. If he gets boat symbol in the next polls, thousands of activists attending this rally will selflessly work for him.”