Buses running, stores opening in police-less Dhaka

Tuesday morning saw calm return to the capital after a day of major events and a night of tensions

The situation in Dhaka was largely calm on Tuesday morning after a day of unrest and a night of tension. Buses and other public transport were on the streets and traders were opening shops. Government vehicles were heading to offices. Many battery-run rickshaws plied the roads.

However, there were no police in sight.

Such was the situation on the road in Mohakhali, the Jahangir Gate area, Agargaon, and Shyamoli.

At 8:30am, three buses of Boishakhi and Rois Paribahan were standing at the Mohakhali Rail Gate area as usual. Bus driver’s assistants were picking up passengers. Motorcycles were on the road despite the drizzling rain. Motorcycle drivers were waiting for passengers at Mohakhali’s Amtoli section. A long queue of vehicles was waiting at the Eureka Filling Station to pick up gas.

Mahfuzul Haque, who offers rides on his motorcycle, was at the filling station. Mahfuz, who hails from Chapainawabganj, had taken a fare from Uttara to Gulshan in the morning. Now he is waiting to fill up his vehicle.

He says he plied his trade even amid the clashes on Sunday and Monday and had managed to earn double the usual amount.

Boishakhi Paribahan bus assistant Mohtasim said that the vehicle had been parked in Mohakhali and had taken 25 passengers from Gulshan to Mohakhali. Now they were getting many passengers, he said.

There was a bit of traffic congestion around the Mohakhali-bound road from the Jahangir Gate signal. Army personnel were seen managing the traffic.

Army personnel have also taken up positions in front of the Ganabhaban, the prime minister’s official residence. However, there are no police at the intersection leading to the Agargaon Link Road. The rush of vehicles from Agargaon halted traffic from Jahangir Gate. Sometime later, the traffic from Jahangir Gate began to cross and halted the traffic from Agargaon.

Milk trucks, vegetable vans, and mini-trucks were seen on the road, as were staff buses and microbuses for many private companies.

There are many battery-powered rickshaws on the road. One driver, Md Farooq, said:

“Now there is no one aside from us. Most of the vehicles are still charging in their garages. By noon, thousands of rickshaws will be on the street.”

Shuttle service is operating to the government offices. Sumon Sheikh, a contract microbus driver for a ministry in the Secretariat said he received instructions last night telling him that he has to drive. Everyone in the government pool left with their vehicles. The roads are clear. He set off from Uttara and crossed the Bashundhara Residential Area and Banani on his way to the Secretariat.

People were crowding in front of the Agargaon Institute of Neuroscience, the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, and Dhaka Shishu Hospital. Sales representatives of various pharmaceutical companies crowded the area.

Dhaka North City Corporation cleaners could be seen on the roads. Displays and banners of Awami League leaders were torn down by agitated people on Monday. They were cleaning them up with their brooms.