Political Programmes on Busy Streets: Public sufferings mount
DOT Desk: Traffic jams and pulicsufferings are intensified in the capital when BNP and other political parties hold political programmes on the streets, hindering free movement of vehicles, reports Daily Sun.
City-dwellers said political parties hold street demonstrations, processions and rallies in the capital, which causes untold sufferings for them.
As part of their anti-government movement, BNP and its allies staged mass sit-ins on different streets of the capital and other divisional cities on yesterday.
Due to such street programmes, nagging traffic jams are created on most streets of the capital, intensifying sufferings of commutes.
Patients of ambulances, office-goers and students are the worst sufferers from the severe tragic congestion.
Defying public interests, BNP and its allies observe such the programmes, blocking many points of busy city streets, many said.
They also said BNP has been talking about public interests, but is creating public woes itself on streets.
Due to its mass gatherings, most city streets were blocked, triggering huge traffic congestions and untold sufferings of passengers.
+Many think that the culture of political programmes on the busy streets should be stopped for the sake of public interests.
Due to the BNP sit-ins on different points of the city streets, there were heavy traffic jams on roads in the capital on Wednesday morning.
Paltan area witnessed huge gatherings of leaders and activists of political parties since 9am in the sit-in programme.
Many people came in piecemeal processions.
As a result, traffic on the roads is disrupted.
From 10am to 4pm on Wednesday, major roads in the capital, including Naya Paltan, Kakrail, Purana Paltan Malibagh, Motijheel, Kamalapur, Gopibagh, Golapbagh Biswa Road, Khilgaon, Mouchak, Ramna, faced almost a terrible situation.
The sufferings of passengers on different vehicles that got stuck in the traffic jams knew no bounds. Kamrunnahar, a resident of Maniknagar, who was going to Kakrail Wills & Little Flower School & College along with her kid by a rickshaw, said, “When we reached Arambagh area, we saw the road totally closed with huge mass gatherings by BNP men.
At one stage, we forced to leave the rickshaw and started walking on foot for Kakrail, the housewife narrated.
“It is not only today’s scenery, almost we had to face such a terrible situation as BNP and other parties held different programmes, blocking the busy streets, she added.
Sohel Mia, a driver’s assistant of Shikar Paribahan, said that traffic jams are a regular scene in Dhaka city.
But yesterday’s situation was worst than other days’.
Normally, it takes about half an hour to go to Dilkusha from Rampura in the capital by motorcycle. But on yesterday, it takes about an hour to go this way, an office-goer said.
Some other victims said the situation was similar in other parts of the capital. However, bus passengers were suffering more than motorcyclists.
Heavy traffic was seen on the entire road from Badda to the front of Abul Hotel in Rampura on yesterday.
Expressing annoyance at the traffic jam, a bus passenger said that political parties hold meetings on the city streets, causing public sufferings.
The traffic police said BNP staged a mass sit-in in some places, including Nayapaltan, of the capital as part of their anti-government movement.
On the other hand, the leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League also hold counter-programmes on streets. Due to this, severe traffic jams are created on the city roads.
As part of the BNP-led alliance’s anti-government movement, a good number of opposition parties staged the sit-in across the capital.
Ganatantra Mancha organised a street demonstration in front of the Jatiya Press Club, while similar programmes were held by the Ganatantrik Bam Oikya and the Gono Forum on the eastern side of the press club and the Eden Complex in Arambagh respectively.
The 12-party alliance that split off from the 20-party alliance staged a sit-in near Bijoynagar water tank, while another political party took up positions opposite Pratim Hotel in Purana Paltan and the LDP staged protest in front of its central office in Karwan Bazar near the FDC.
Rallies and marches will take place in every city, district, upazila, and municipality on January 16 to press for 10-point demands of BNP.
The demands include resignation of the Awami League-led government and holding of the next general election under a non-partisan caretaker government.