Staff Reporter :The entire traffic system of the capital city Dhaka went haywire on Monday for ‘diversions’ of traffic movement on different busy roads apparently to facilitating a ruling party rally at Suhrawardy Uddyan marking the historic March 7.A major portion of VIP Road, from Shahbagh-Farmgate to Prime Minister’s Office and entire Bijoy Sarani apparently remained standstill for several hours till late afternoon due to the diversions introduced by Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The commuters those were coming from Pallabi-Mirpur direction were compelled to take alternative route through Manik Mian Avenue and Mirpur Road to come to Motijheel, Gulistan, Sadarghat and Old City areas. On the other hand, the police blocked the road from Shahbagh to Matsya Bhaban at 10:00am for several hours before the Awami League’s meeting had started. The jam later spread throughout the capital city.And so, horrible traffic jam collapsed city’s civic life where thousands of dwellers were forced to stay on the roads for hours due to never-ending line of stock-still vehicles on the city’s main thoroughfares and by-lanes.Many people who became fed up due to the gridlock tried to go to their destinations on foot leaving their vehicles. But the law enforcers restricted their movement for facilitating smooth passage of Prime Minister’s motorcade on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue. It was not the first time that the city experienced a massive gridlock. In fact, it’s a common scenario in the capital city in the recent days. Whenever the ruling party Awami League arranges a programme, the dwellers of the city have to bear the brunt. But who cares! Traffic officials, like other occasions, yesterday also put the blame on the shoulder of ruling party. They said that the jam was actually initiated due to holding of mammoth rally by Awami League marking the historic March 7.They pointed out that processions of party men boarding on buses or trucks and on foot, to join the venue at Suhrawardy Uddyan, choked the road space. Although the traffic jam is a regular phenomenon in the capital, it caused yesterday immense suffering to the residents at Pallabi, Mirpur, Shewrapara, Taltola, Naya Paltan, Purana Paltan, Bijoy Nagar, Motijheel, Dilkusha, Shahbagh, Kakrail, Malibagh, Moghbazar, Karwan Bazar, Bangla Motor, Farm Gate and everywhere, the traffic officials said.There was another problem-the scarcity of transport. A number of bus-truck owners alleged that they were compelled to give their vehicles to the ruling party men for carrying supporters to meeting venue at Suhrawardy Uddyan. Besides, several owners did not let their drivers to bring out vehicles fearing ‘force requisition’ by party cadres. Due to the reason, the suffering was unbearable where people were seen waiting till late evening to get a vehicle to go their destinations.
