The capital seemed emptied out on Tuesday afternoon, following the announcement of a 48-hour shutdown called by the Jamaat-e-Islami after its assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Molla was sentenced to death.
Public buses were scarce and it was proving difficult for office-goers, many of whom took early leave from work in anticipation of pre-shutdown violence that might occur.
In the morning, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court overruled a previous life-term verdict of ICT and gave Quader Molla the gallows.
Soon after, Jamaat announced a 48-hour strike for Wednesday and Thursday.
Law enforcers were seen at key points in the city from Tuesday morning.
At around 3:00pm, Gulshan, Mohakhali, Farmgate, Sonargaon, Shahbagh, Paltan and Motijheel areas were almost devoid of vehicles.
These key traffic areas of the city and are usually packed on weekdays.
Fazle Rabbi, a banker at the Motijheel branch of Standard Chartered, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had left work and was waiting to go home.
"Everyone from nearby offices are getting out early. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to get home. But there are no buses around."
Abdullah Al Mahmid, an engineer at Siemens, told the Dhaka Tribune that he came to pick up his mother at Mohakhali bus stand from his Gulshan office.
"I came to Mohakhali in a rickshaw. I am heading towards Badda in a CNG. The roads are almost empty. It feels good to travel on an empty road."
Traffic on Dhaka road began to thin out from around midday.
Sheikh Jinat Sharmin said she endured the usual morning traffic while going to work at around 9:30am. "I was stuck for half an hour at Kawran Bazar."
Samira Sadeque said she had a much better time going to her office on Panthapath from Gulshan around midday. "It would be good if all days were like this."
