Heavy rain that began on Saturday afternoon continued unabated in Dhaka, leaving city residents grappling with traffic gridlock and widespread waterlogging.
By around 4pm, dark clouds loomed over the city, and light rain began at 4:30pm. Within half an hour, the rainfall intensified, and by 7pm, Dhaka’s narrow alleys were already submerged. On some major roads, water accumulated on one side, worsening the situation. Office-goers returning home faced difficulties due to the combination of traffic congestion and waterlogging.
Around 5pm, Ayesha Sultana left her office in Motijheel. Stepping into heavy rain, she found no vehicles available. Needing to reach Rampura, she discovered that rickshaw and CNG drivers were charging double fares, exploiting the situation. Reluctantly, she paid the increased fare, only to get stuck in traffic at Kakrail. By 7pm, she still hadn’t reached home. Many other Dhaka office-goers reported similar hardships.
Meanwhile, Jamal Hossain, a resident of Rajabazar, had to leave home for work but was initially delayed by the downpour. When he finally stepped out, knee-deep water on the roads made even short distances feel like crossing a river. He spent over an hour waiting for the rain to ease before continuing his journey.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), a well-marked low-pressure area over southern Chhattisgarh and surrounding regions is moving north-northeast and weakening, currently situated over West Bengal and nearby areas. It is expected to continue moving north-northeast and gradually weaken further. Another low-pressure area could form over the east-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining regions within the next 48 hours.
The 24-hour forecast issued at 9am on Saturday predicts light to moderate rain or thundershowers in many parts of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, and Sylhet divisions, as well as in some areas of Khulna, Barisal, and Chittagong divisions. Certain areas in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, and Sylhet may experience moderate to heavy rainfall.
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