Dhaka has faced increased traffic congestion recently due to rallies and gatherings. Although there were no events on Wednesday, passengers still experienced long waits on major roads.
Traffic congestion was observed in key areas such as Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Panthapath, Green Road, Shahbagh to Science Lab, Moghbazar to Banglamotor, and around Gulistan and Paltan.
Many frustrated commuters opted to walk to their destinations to avoid the gridlock. In contrast, routes from Paribagh, Shahbagh, and Katabon to Science Lab saw smooth traffic flow in the absence of public gatherings.
At around 4pm, private sector employee Jannatul Ferdous began her journey from Mouchak to Shukrabad by rickshaw.
Upon reaching Banglamotor via Moghbazar, she encountered severe traffic delays.
Her journey worsened at Panthapath, where she was stuck near Bashundhara Shopping Mall for an extended time, eventually deciding to walk the rest of the way.
Expressing her frustration, Jannatul said: “If there’s congestion all around, how will vehicles move forward? I didn’t see any rallies or protests today, so why is there still so much traffic?”
Other commuters along this route echoed her concerns, citing significant delays.
Tejgaon Traffic Division’s Assistant Commissioner (Traffic) Snehashish Kumar Das said that traffic flow was normal throughout the day. However, brief signal holds were necessary at certain points due to VIP movement in the afternoon.
He added that there were no major incidents of traffic congestion.
Despite lighter traffic on the Shahbagh to Science Lab route in the evening, congestion built up after office hours.
The same pattern was observed from Shahbagh to New Market and Dhanmondi via Science Lab.
