Shahbagh and adjoining areas of Dhaka city yesterday witnessed severe traffic congestion as Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, a pro-BNP student body, was holding a programme, blocking the road. JCD held its 33th anniversary programme at Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh when its leaders and activists occupied one side of the road from Shishu Park to Matsya Bhaban from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. Many commuters had to leave public buses or their vehicles to reach their destinations on foot. “It took an additional one hour to reach Firmgate from Laxmi Bazar,” said Rayhan Ahmed, a resident of Laxmi Bazar. It is really very unfortunate that general people have to suffer when the ruling party or the opposition party conducts such programmes, said Jhuma Akhtar, a resident of Gendaria. Leaders of both the parties should think about people’s suffering and find out a solution, she added. Last week, a mass rally of the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance at the same venue kept traffic movement suspended for hours in most parts of the capital.
