Bangladesh News

Commuters experienced untold sufferings yesterday as most of the city dwellers rushed to finish their last moment business before today’s blockade programme but they found fewer vehicles in the streets.
The city streets were crammed with heavy traffic until afternoon, but the scenario changed in the evening, when fearing vandalism by the blockade activists, many transport companies suspended their services leaving people returning from their workplaces stranded at different parts of the city.

Thick crowds of people were seen walking down the city streets until 10:00pm due to lack of public bus and CNG three-wheelers. Some two thousand people were seen at Farmgate in the evening waiting for transports to return to their homes.

Fearing police harassment and sudden requisition, a lot of vehicles, did not ply the streets at daytime also, although a severe traffic jam was seen almost the whole day in the streets due to the 4-party alliance rally and processions.

The number of rickshaws was more than any other day, dominating the city’s lanes and bi-lanes and creating a huge traffic jam. Taking advantage of the situation, the rickshawpullers also charged double fare, some commuters alleged. Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Moghbazar, Shantinagar, Azimpur and the old parts of the city, everywhere the scene was the same.

“I walked all the way from Elephant Road to Karwan Bazar to get a CNG, but I’m yet to find one,” Imrul Kayes, a private employee, told The Daily Star at Karwan Bazar in the afternoon.

Mohammad Rais Iqbal from Mirpur, working in a shipping agency at Motijheel, told The Daily Star that he failed to get any vehicles at Motijheel and was forced to walk up to Shahbagh, but could not find any bus or a single CNG three-wheeler. “Now I am walking towards Farmgate to get something to get on,” he said.

The city kitchen markets were bustling with activities in the evening as the customers thronged there to make a stock of essentials. Many alleged of high prices of vegetables and fish.

The fuel stations also witnessed a rush in the evening, with long queues of vehicles forming in front of almost every station.

The number of passengers was higher than usual at the bus terminals, train stations and launch terminals as many people wanted to reach their destinations before the start of blockade from today.

Quoting some school authorities, some parents said that chance for finishing the classes within this year is less due to the continuous blockade programme.