Traffic congestion worsened in Dhaka due to rain, adding to the challenges faced by city dwellers during the ongoing 48-hour blockade program of BNP that started on Wednesday.
The rain on Thursday morning increased the difficulties for office-goers and school students.
Traffic jams were particularly notable between 10am and noon at various points in the capital, including Bangla Motor, Shahbagh, Science Lab, Bijoy Sarani, and Asad Gate.
Commuters on these routes had to endure the rain while being stuck in traffic jams, further complicating their daily commute.
Passenger Tanveer Hasan, who travelled from Mirpur to Bangla Motor, shared his experience, mentioning that he boarded a BRTC bus from Mirpur-1 around 11am. Due to the rain, vehicles were moving slowly in some areas, and it took a long time to enter Bangla Motor despite passing Farmgate around noon.
Those using rickshaws or walking with umbrellas to reach their destinations in the rain faced additional challenges.
Some reported having to pay extra fares for CNG and rickshaws during the rainy conditions.
Sabina Yasmin, traveling from Shahbagh to New Market, normally paying Tk40, had to pay between Tk70-100 on the day.
Newton, traffic officer in charge at Bangla Motor in DMP's Ramna division, acknowledged the increased traffic pressure during the noon due to rain.
He however mentioned that although there was a traffic jam in the afternoon, the situation had improved by then, with rain slowing down vehicles in certain areas. Overall, the traffic conditions were described as normal by the officer.
