A rally by Jamaat and seven other political parties was scheduled to start at 2pm on Tuesday at Paltan Mor, but thousands of leaders and activists joined the procession from early morning. The surrounding roads became overcrowded, causing severe traffic congestion and extreme inconvenience for passengers and pedestrians.
With a large number of participants, the rally stretched south to Zero Point, north to Bijoynagar, east to Baitul Mokarram, and west to the National Press Club, completely blocking traffic on these roads.
At around 2pm, the rally stage was set up in the middle of the northbound road from Paltan Mor, preventing buses from Gulistan to Gazipur from passing. Meanwhile, buses from Jatrabari and Saidabad heading toward Mirpur-Farmgate were also unable to enter this area.
Some buses from Gulistan managed to travel via Secretariat and in front of the Shikkha Bhaban, but traffic remained heavily disrupted. The congestion also extended to Kakrail, Shahbagh, and Science Lab areas, forcing many commuters to walk long distances to reach their destinations.
Tuhin Projonmo, a passenger on a Shikor transport bus heading to Mirpur, said: “I started from Jatrabari toward Shahbagh, but buses refused to go past Gulistan due to the rally. Even rickshaws were unavailable, so I had to walk.”
Several passengers and pedestrians expressed similar frustrations, suggesting: “Such rallies would be better held in open grounds rather than crowded streets.”
Law enforcement personnel and the political parties’ volunteers were trying to ease the traffic congestion.
