Gridlocks as AL procession marches city roads

Commuters in the capital were stuck on the road for hours as the ruling Awami League brought out a procession marking Victory Day on Saturday.

Awami League Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units arranged the rally.

Starting from the Institution of Engineers premises, the rally marched towards Bangabandhu Museum, Dhanmondi 32, parading through Shahbag, Elephant Road, Science Lab, Kalabagan and Mirpur Road areas of the city.

Traffic was blocked from the High Court area to Shahbag intersection owing to the rally. Trucks loaded with the party activists were seen parked on the road and pedestrians could not cross the area due to the gathering of Awami League people.

Shamima Ivy, a job holder, was returning home in Mohammadpur by bus after visiting her relatives' residence in Mouchak, Chittagong Road. But the bus stopped moving near the Matsya Bhaban around 3pm and she was yet to cross the Ramna area as of 4.40pm.

Boarding a bus in Gulistan, a woman named Jasmin got stuck in the Matsya Bhaban area and eventually walked to her office in the capital's Eskaton Garden area.

When contacted, a traffic police officer of the Ramna division said that a temporary traffic jam was created in Shahbagh intersection and adjacent areas as hundreds of Awami League men gathered in the area to join a party rally.

He said, "Traffic was stopped for a few minutes. However, as it was Saturday, people did not have to suffer much."

Dhaka Metropolitan North Awami League President Sheikh Bazlur Rahman inaugurated the rally at the Engineers Institution premises and the General Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan South Awami League Humayun Kabir moderated the event.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader attended the programme as the chief guest and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque addressed the rally.