Hours lost in traffic chaos following protest over RMG worker's death in city
Severe traffic congestions paralysed Dhaka's Banani and surrounding areas for nearly seven hours today, causing immense suffering to commuters amid Ramadan.
Officegoers and residents faced prolonged delays and were forced to walk long distances, including along the elevated expressway, as garment workers blocked roads following the death of a female colleague.
The chaos began early in the morning when Minara Akhter, 19, a garment worker, was fatally struck by a pick-up van while crossing the road near Banani Chairman Bari around 6:39am.
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The incident sparked outrage, prompting workers from nearby factories to block the Airport Road and the Banani section of the expressway, causing traffic congestion that spread to Hatirjheel, Moghbazar, Bijoy Soroni, and Gulshan.
Banani Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Russell Sarwar said vehicular movement resumed after the protest ended around 1:30pm after police assurances.
In the afternoon, workers held a symbolic coffin procession demanding justice, before police requested them to vacate the roads, he added.
According to police, another person named Sumaiya Akhter was injured in the accident and has been admitted to Kurmitola Hospital.
Talking to The Business Standard, Zia Rahman Ziko, additional deputy commissioner of Gulshan Traffic Zone, said, "Garment workers had blocked both incoming and outgoing roads and even halted movement on the elevated expressway, leading to severe traffic congestion."
The blockade led office goers to abandon buses and walk to their destinations. The situation became more difficult for them as it was Ramadan and the second working day of the week.
By 8:30am, traffic movement in Banani, Mohakhali, and Gulshan was nearly halted. Severe congestion was also seen on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway in Mohakhali and Banani during this time.
However, by 10:30am, the traffic congestion on the expressway began to ease.
"I left Banani DOHS at 8:30am to reach work in Eskaton but got stuck in front of the Banani Expressway entry for over 30 minutes. Traffic was at a complete standstill, with no vehicles moving, and the entry to the expressway was closed off," a commuter told TBS.
Shamsur Rahman, another commuter working in Gulshan described his ordeal to TBS. He said, "I started from my Agargaon home at 8am but, even after three hours of hustle and multiple route changes, I couldn't even make it to Banani. Later, I had to return home."
"If this continues daily, how can we survive in this city?," he added, expressing his dissatisfaction over the traffic chaos.
