The movement of vehicles in parts of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, almost came to a stop today. This happened because of two major political gatherings at two important places—Naya Paltan and Shahbagh.
BNP’s Youth Rally at Naya Paltan
Three youth organizations of the opposition party BNP arranged a big rally at Naya Paltan. Around 3 PM, BNP’s official Facebook page posted a picture from the rally, stating:
“The roads of Dhaka have turned into a sea of people with the gathering of young supporters.”
Supporters started coming from different areas in buses and trucks. By 12 PM, people were seen gathering around Paltan, and this caused heavy traffic jams in nearby areas like Moghbazar, Shahbagh, and Motijheel.
Earlier in the morning, around 10 AM, different groups from BNP—Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal—started marching towards the rally spot at Naya Paltan.
BNP said this rally is part of a month-long campaign to attract the youth. As part of this campaign, they had planned eight days of seminars and rallies in four major cities and towns. Events have already taken place in Chattogram, Khulna, and Bogra, and today’s rally in Dhaka is the final one.
Read More: False Rumor of Mauritanian Hajj Plane Crash Sparks Panic Online carrying 210 Hajj pilgrims
Jamaat Leader Felicitated at Shahbagh
On the other side, Jamaat-e-Islami organized a felicitation event at Shahbagh for one of their leaders, ATM Azharul Islam, who was recently released from jail. He had earlier been sentenced to death in a war crimes case but was later found not guilty and freed on Wednesday morning.
Jamaat made a stage on the roadside in Shahbagh for the event. Because of this, traffic in that area had to be stopped. Once the event ended, roads in Shahbagh were reopened. But by then, the crowd in Paltan had already grown, causing further traffic problems.
Roads Blocked and Heavy Traffic Jams
Due to both these rallies, many roads in Dhaka were blocked. A large number of vehicles were stuck in traffic jams for hours. This affected many roads around Paltan, Shahbagh, Motijheel, and nearby areas.
An officer from the Dhaka Traffic Division said that traffic on many roads had almost stopped because of the rallies. However, they were trying their best to manage the situation.
Source: BBC News
