A series of clashes between shopkeepers and Dhaka College students in the New Market area has blocked thoroughfares in the capital and led to traffic gridlock.
Traffic moved at a crawl in the Elephant Road, Bangla Motor, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Dhaka University, Nilkhet, Azimpur, Mirpur Road and their surrounding areas on Tuesday afternoon, reports bdnews24.com.
Commuters were stuck on buses in the intense heat for lengthy periods.
By 11:00 am, many passengers stuck on Elephant Road from Science Laboratory to the Bata Signal got off their vehicles and decided to walk to Dhanmondi.
Hafiz Miah, one of those who decided to make the trek, said: “I got on a minibus, but decided to walk when it got stuck.”
“I heard the congestion was because of a clash near Dhaka College. Now we have to suffer. That too while we fast for Ramadan.”
An argument between storekeepers and Dhaka University students late on Monday night has led to a series of clashes between the two sides.
The two sides clashed for nearly two and a half hours at night before police dispersed them using tear shells and rubber bullets.
Several people were seriously injured in the violence and taken to hospital.
The skirmishes resumed on Tuesday morning and continued for several hours, turning the New Market area into a battleground.
The Old Dhaka area usually experiences heavy traffic in the morning. With the roads to New Market blocked, things were at a standstill.
Buses rerouted to Mirpur, increasing the traffic in Nilkhet, Elephant Road and other nearby areas, CNG drivers said.
There was intense traffic congestion from Bangla Motor to Farmgate, said car driver Fazlur Rahman.
He said he was stuck near Bangla Motor for nearly an hour on his way to Gulshan.
“Because of the clashes in the New Market area, buses have diverted onto other routes, which is causing more issues. It is hard to stay stuck in one place for so long under this oppressive heat.”