Dhaka without its usual and mind boggling traffic congestions looked a different city on Saturday.
It was a cricket loving city on the day with millions of people staying at home to watch the first match of the Cricket World Cup 2011 between Bangladesh and India.
They awaited the match to start –glued to TV sets.
Cricket was the only topic of discussion.
There were fewer vehicles on the streets and many shops remained closed.
The shops and markets that remained open to business had fewer customers.
The usual traffic congestion had suddenly vanished from Shahbagh, New Market, Science Laboratory, Karwan Bazaar, Farmgate, Tejgaon, Mahakhali, Agargaon, Banani, Gulshan, Mirpur, College Gate, Asad Gate, Rampura, Malibagh, Maghbazaar, Dhanmondi, Paltan, Jatrabari, Dayaganj, Gulistan, and Sadarghat.
Selim, driver of Bikalpa Bus Service, told New Age that the buses plied on city roads virtually empty.
‘We knew we would not get many passengers because people are staying at home to see the cricket match,’ he said.
He said that the city roads were virtually free from traffic congestion throughout the day.
Nahed Akhter, a third year student of Eden Girls’ College, said from the morning the roads remained more or less desolate near the New Market and Shahbagh, where people find it difficult even to cross the streets on Saturdays.
She said, ‘After many years Dhaka was again so beautiful and a relaxed city.’
Nahed said that it was an incredible experience that people could go to Karwan Bazaar from Aziz Super Market by rickshaw.
Mobarak, a rickshaw puller, said that his earning fell drastically on the day as he could carry only a handful of passengers.
Mohammad Nasirul Haque, proprietor of Akhi Enterprise, a shop at Mirpur, said that the sales had dropped on the day.
It’s a bad day for business, he said.
He said that most of the shopkeepers left the market before noon.
The experience was no different at Aziz Super Market at Shahbagh or the shopping centres at Banani, Gulshan or Mahakhali.
