Staff Reporter :Capital city Dhaka has been experiencing severe traffic jam in the recent days in the wake of Eid-ul Azha and Durga Puja, but the situation went beyond control on Wednesday afternoon when heavy rains flooded most of the city roads. The situation became worst when traffic crawled on waterlogged roads with commuters finding it difficult to reach destinations. And the shortage of transports further aggravated public sufferings.City dwellers alleged that the Traffic Department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police [DMP] was indifferent to the issue. The DMP could not find out any solution to ease the traffic congestion to control rush even during two mega religious events. Mohammad Mosleh Uddin, Joint Commissioner [traffic] of the DMP, when asked, admitted that yesterday’s traffic problem was caused by heavy rainfall for a few hours. He, however, claimed that traffic movement would regain normalcy soon.Md Abed Mia, an official of a private bank at Mohammadpur who uses a motorbiketo commute, said, “It was difficult to move as there was no space on the road to go ahead. On other days, we get some space to reach our destination.”He said, the traffic congestion crisis intensified when the office comers started journey for home in the afternoon. “I think the situation will deteriorate day by day when people start moving to shopping malls and cattle markets.”Like him, thousands of commuters suffered yesterday throughout the afternoon and evening because of water logging, which ultimately resulted long tailbacks on the busiest roads across the city.The roads were gone under water at Pallabi to Taltola, Shantinagar to Fakirapool to Motijheel, Nilkhet to Chankharpool, soon after the rain started at about 2:30pm. These areas as well experienced severe tailbacks for hours.Some dwellers said it took him almost three times the normal time to reach his office at Karwanbazaar from Mirpur. The story was almost similar for thousands.Only a small number of buses, mini buses and auto-rickshaws were seen plying on the roads.Commuters alleged, the flyover construction and wayside storage of construction materials multiplied the woes of the commuters especially at entire Malibagh to Gulistan areas.Many homebound people including women and children were seen to return their homes on foot. Besides, those who had emergencies have to suffer a lot due to the traffic congestion, as they had to waste time in the vehicles being remained stranded for hours. Hundreds of people had waited for hours at different stoppages to catch buses where the garments workers, particularly the female passengers were the worst sufferers.
