Prolonged drizzle, student protest cause tailbacks in capital

Nearly two days of light-to-moderate incessant rains caused severe traffic congestion in the capital city on Monday, extending 20-minute commutes to two hours in some places with more rains expected in the coming days.

Vehicles in the city cannot move at optimum speed during rainfall while waterlogging as well as road repairing and digging in many places added to their slowdown.

A student movement further worsened the rain-induced sufferings of office-goers and other commuters on Monday as protesters blocked the Science Lab intersection for two hours demanding the deferral of public higher secondary exams.

The sit-in created tailbacks in Mirpur Road, New Market, Nilkhet and Shahbag areas.

A commuter named Ali Azam told The Business Standard that it took him two hours to reach Shahbag from Mohakhali against the usual 20-minute duration at noon. Digging of roads contributed to the traffic congestion, he said.

Another commuter Yasmin Akhter said she got on a public transport at 4.30pm but the bus stayed immobile there for nearly 30 minutes due to a tailback that she learnt extended all the way up to her home in Malibagh.

Tareq Sekander Abhi, assistant commissioner of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar traffic police force, said the situation mostly stabilised at around 8.30pm. Earlier, the police themselves had to toil to control traffic, he claimed.

Shahen Shah, additional deputy commissioner of the New Market police, said over 50 students from different colleges took up positions at the Science Lab intersection demanding the push back of higher secondary exams and halving of total marks for each exam.

Moderate rainfall continuing since Saturday night led to waterlogging on Monday morning in areas including Azimpur, Bangshal, Lalbagh, Hatirjheel, Mirpur, Jatrabari, Badda and Motijheel.

In the daily government weather update at 6pm more light-to-moderate rain with gusty winds was forecast in major parts of the divisions of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet.

Rain patterns could get heavier while temperatures could also rise in the coming days, it was forecast.