The capital groaned back to an abnormal traffic maze on Friday, normally a weekend in Bangladesh, after getting a short respite from the 131-hour-long programme called by the BNP-led 18-party alliance. Relieved on getting the sudden freedom, people poured out on the streets to replenish their dwindling stocks and complete all their work that had been suspended because of political interruptions.
The reprieve, however, is short-lived. Another spell of blockade for 72 hours is going to grip the capital from 6am on Saturday.
Though people poured on to the streets, they had to face massive traffic snarls that confined them to long hours of tailbacks on the streets on Friday, normally a weekend in Bangladesh. Schools and colleges were open for examinations or classes to make up for the time lost during the political turmoil. Banks, businesses and some commercial offices were open, which added an extra burden on the city’s streets.
As more and more vehicles took to the roads, the gridlock on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway was reported to be 50km near Comilla early on Friday. It was growing further and further by nightfall, the police said, making it difficult for them to cope with it.
Besides, the long distance buses going in and out of the capital with stranded passengers and trucks bringing in supplies of essentials also exerted further pressure on the traffic, a policeman said, while trying to control traffic at one of the city’s busiest intersections at Paltan.
Long queues of people there were seen waiting for hours for the buses already filled up, spilling over to their rooftops. Shahana Hossain, a bank clerk, vainly tried to get in a bus to Mouchak. Rickshaw-pullers were asking her Tk. 100 for the trip, normally charged for Tk50.
-With The Independent input
