Agitated garment workers blocked roads in Banani on Monday morning following the death of a female colleague in a road accident, leading to severe traffic congestion across the capital.
The disruption affected Mohakhali, Banani, and surrounding areas, with gridlocks spreading to multiple parts of the city.
The accident occurred around 6am at the Chairman Bari U-turn in Banani, leaving one woman dead and another injured.
However, authorities have yet to confirm which vehicle was involved in the incident.
Police said they are investigating and working to identify and seize the vehicle.
Citywide traffic disruption
Following the accident, garment workers took to the streets early in the morning, bringing traffic to a standstill by blocking both inbound and outbound roads in Banani.
Even vehicles on the elevated expressway were affected.
To manage the situation, police have set up diversions at Banani-Kakoli crossing and Amtoli in Mohakhali, rerouting vehicles through Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2.
Despite these measures, severe traffic congestion persists, with major roads including Rampura, Shahbagh, Mirpur Road, and Paltan witnessing long tailbacks. Hundreds of vehicles remain stuck for hours.
Commuters suffer
Frustrated commuters have taken to social media to express their grievances.
Nadia Soma wrote on Facebook: "I’ve been stuck on the Moghbazar flyover for an hour and still haven’t reached Tejgaon. What’s going on?"
Another commuter, Tasmin Sultana Chaiti, asked: "How will I get from Uttara to Dhanmondi now?"
Shams Rahman wrote: "The entire stretch from Agargaon to the old airport is jammed. Cars aren’t moving at all. What should I do now?"
With vehicles stranded on the roads, many office-goers have opted to walk to their destinations.
Sharifa Akhter, an employee of a private firm in Banani, said: "I couldn’t reach my office in the morning. Now my boss is insisting that I must come in. So, while fasting, I walked nearly 4km to reach work."
Authorities working to ease the situation
Law enforcement officials and traffic authorities are engaged in discussions with the protesters to clear the blockade and restore normalcy.
Banani police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Russell Sarwar said: "One garment worker died, and another was injured in a road accident this morning. The injured worker has been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Protesters claim three people have died, but we have confirmed two casualties so far. Traffic remains at a standstill due to the roadblock, and we are working to resolve the situation."
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of DMP Traffic Gulshan Division Md Mofidul Islam said: "The garment workers’ protest has halted traffic on the Mohakhali-Banani road, leading to severe congestion across the city. We are diverting vehicles through alternative routes, including the cantonment, Rampura Road, and Pragati Sarani, to ease passenger suffering."
