The workers were constructing a toilet at a school next to the temple in Faridpur’s Madhukhali Upazila
Traffic torment, massive waterlogging strike Dhaka with two-hour downpour
Lashing rain for two hours has thrown life out of gear in capital Dhaka with inundated roads severely tangling traffic.
Published : 1 Sept 2015, 12:02 PM
Updated : 1 Sept 2015, 12:02 PM
The city woke up to a drizzle on Tuesday morning that turned into a cascading shower a little after 11am.
The main streets and lanes soon began to choke with stalled traffic, pushing the situation beyond control, said police personnel.
bdnews24.com reporters fanned out across the city said traffic had virtually ground to a halt on old Dhaka’s Nazim Uddin Road, Kakrail, Matsya Bhaban roundabout, Shantinagar, Minto Road, Maghbazar, Rampura, Shahbagh intersection, Science Laboratory, Bangla Motor, Farmgate, Mohakhali, several parts of Mirpur and on the way to Uttara.
Sumon Mahbub, bdnews24.com’s senior correspondent, said waterlogging on the road in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, on the southern approach to Parliament Building, Manik Mia Avenue and other important roads aggravated the situation.
The car crawl across the city stretched from minutes to hours.
bdnews24.com photographer Asif Mahmud Ove said Mirpur’s Kalshi, the stretch from Shewraparha to Mirpur 10 intersection, Naya Paltan, Shantinagar, Malibagh, Mouchak, and Rajarbagh were waterlogged.
Many CNG-run vehicles were stranded in these areas as long tailbacks added to the sufferings of people returning home from work, he added.
Saiduzzaman Palash, who works at a garment factory, was caught in the traffic at Mirpur for about an hour.
“There’s water everywhere but no outlet for it to recede. I’m really impressed at the city corporation’s development work,” he said sarcastically in a dig at the city authorities.
A man said it took him about four hours to reach a school at Asadgate from Mirpur.
“My son’s school ended at 1:30pm and now its 5:30pm. He had to wait here the entire time,” the man said. “Just think what he went through.”
A long queue of vehicles was seen on the Mohakhali flyover at the time of filing the report around 3pm.
Police control room said in the afternoon, the downpour had caused severe traffic dislocation resulting in a crippling traffic jam.
It said it was proving particularly difficult to restore normal service in Mohakhali, Bijoy Sarani, Bangla Motor, Farmgate, Shahbagh and Maghbazar.
Many CNG-powered auto-rickshaws stalled even on VIP streets.
Reporter Hasiba Ali Borna said she ran into a traffic gridlock near the High Court while on her way to Mohakhali in an auto-rickshaw.
She tried to proceed via the TSC but got stuck again.
Several auto-rickshaws and private cars were lying immobilised on Nazim Uddin Road, said reporter Kamal Hossain Talukdar.
Senior reporter Mortuza Haidar said he saw traffic jam on every street around Nurjahan Road in Mohammadpur. Cars were seen standing even in narrow lanes as people tried to find diversions.
“The continuous downpour has worsened the suffering of stranded people. Students and their guardians have been caught unawares,” he said.
Senior Correspondent Nurul Islam Hasib said cars were stuck on Minto Road for several hours, and those trying to go in the wrong direction compounded the traffic problem.
Traffic Inspector Bazlur Rahman, posted at Bangla Motor, told bdnews24.com, “Rain caused this situation. Farmgate, Bijoy Sarani, Sonargaon Link Road, and the western side of Manik Mia Avenue were waterlogged.”
bdnews24.com employee Sohag Mia said there was waist-deep water from the middle of Road 27 of Dhanmondi to its intersection with Mirpur Road.
The Manik Mia Avenue roundabout was under knee-deep water.
The rain onslaught did not spare the road in front of the Prime Minister’s Office from being waterlogged. Although the water receded after some time, the traffic jam persisted, said Senior Correspondent Suman Mahbub.
There was knee-deep water on both sides of the road from Farmgate to SAARC Fountain. bdnews24.com News Editor Gazi Nasir Uddin Ahmed Khokan said he was caught in a traffic jam for over an hour while going from Uttara to Mohakhali.
A person called Nesar Uddin said he was stuck at Farmgate for a long time on his way to Gulistan from Cantonment.
The Met office said the capital recorded 61mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.
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