Dhaka Metropolitan Police had asked the two parties not to block any streets during the programmes, but police themselves closed the road from Noor Hossain Square to Gulistan Cinema as an Awami League rally was being held there.
The Awami League staged two rallies -- one at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Avenue and the other at Russell Square -- while the BNP organised a public meeting in front of its Naya Paltan headquarters.
Both rallies were held to mark the second anniversary of the Jan 5 national elections.
The Awami League observes Jan 5 as ‘Democracy Protection Day' and the BNP as ‘Murder of Democracy Day’.
Though no untoward incident happened at the rallies, the city commuters were caught up in terrible traffic snarl-ups due to the programmes.
A passenger travelling on an Ajmeri Service bus told bdnews24.com, “They do politics for the people. The leaders should understand the sufferings of the people.”
Like last year, the two parties had sought permission to hold rallies at Suhrawardy Udyan.
But police had permitted them to hold programmes only in front of their respective headquarters and had also attached several conditions.
The Awami League was cleared to organise a rally on the Bangabandhu Avenue, but the party held it in front of the south gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
Police blocked the Bangabandhu Avenue at around 12:30pm, two and a half hours before the rally began, leading to a severe traffic gridlock on the streets around it.
The Awami League processions on trucks violated the condition that the party would not hinder the movement of the city people.
The BNP rally also halted traffic around the Naya Paltan area.
The party erected its podium on the road, flouting the conditions set by police.
It also used more loudspeakers than the number police had permitted.