Dhaka, the bustling capital of Bangladesh, is all too familiar with traffic congestion, with the sweltering heat compounding the daily woes of commuters in this densely populated metropolis.
On Monday, the second working day of the week, the city experienced severe traffic congestion on various roads. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Traffic Division reported that the morning witnessed a deluge of school and college-bound vehicles flooding Dhaka's streets, leading to gridlocks at crucial points. Meanwhile, the Met Office forecast dry weather across the country, with temperatures remaining unchanged.
In a city home to over 22 million people, office-goers often find themselves waiting for public transport. On Monday, many who managed to board buses soon grew disillusioned when their commute became mired in Dhaka's seemingly endless traffic snarls.
Traffic came to a crawl early in the day on Mirpur Road, especially around Technical Mor. Those who surmounted that hurdle soon found themselves stuck in Kalyanpur, Shyamoli, near Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and then at Asad Gate, with almost two hours passing by while crossing such a short stretch of road.
Even covering the short distance from Bijoy Sarani to Farmgate took over an hour, and the scorching heat only compounded the travails of commuters.
Monday marked the end of autumn, with Tuesday heralding late autumn. However, the country has yet to experience the cooler temperatures typically associated with this season, as scorching heat disrupts lives in various districts, including Dhaka.
Tonmoy, who works at a private firm, left Mirpur for his office in the morning. He said he had to endure an extended wait in Kalyanpur traffic, lamenting that morning traffic had become an unavoidable daily companion. "We have to leave home every day anticipating that we will inevitably be stuck in Kalyanpur. I do not understand why this happens in the same spot every day."
Arif, travelling on public transport, expressed his frustration, emphasizing that no one tolerates traffic jams as a valid excuse for lateness anymore. He questioned how long people must allow for unforeseen delays when heading out.
Several officials from the Ramna and Tejgaon Traffic Division pointed to the concentration of schools and colleges in areas like Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Baily Road, and Mohakhali as contributing to the intense traffic during the morning rush.
They acknowledged the significant volume of vehicles on the streets during school hours but assured the public that the Traffic Division was actively working to alleviate the traffic situation.
