BCL rallies cause traffic chaos

Citizens on Saturday spent stressful hours in traffic gridlock on most roads of the capital as Bangladesh Chhatra League, ruling Awami League-backed student organisation, celebrated its 70th founding anniversary on Dhaka University campus. 
Since morning, traffic congestion was seen on most important roads of Dhaka and this continued till afternoon as BCL activists paraded major roads connected with Shahbagh.
With the key intersection off-limits due to traffic caused by the BCL programme, patients who were trying to reach major hospitals like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and BIRDEM had to suffer for hours.
The rally began at 12:30pm from the Dhaka University and ended at the BCL party office at Bangabandhu Avenue before parading through Matsya Bhaban, Kakrail and Paltan of the city.
Vehicles along with ambulances carrying patients were seen stuck on roads in Paltan, along the National Press Club, the Supreme Court area, Matsya Bhaban, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Shahbagh, Ramna, Moghbazar, Motijheel, Karwanbazar, Gulistan, Paltan, Kakrail, Tejgaon and Gulshan.
A sexagenarian woman with her ailing husband at the entrance of BSMMU around 1:30pm said that after completing her husband’s dialysis, they were looking for an auto-rickshaw that would take them home. But they were stuck in BSMMU premises for more than an hour due to the BCL rally.
Abu Rakib, an attendant of a patient, said that they have been stuck in Shahbagh for two hours. He added that no political parties seem to ever consider the sufferings of common people.
Senior assistant commissioner of police Shamsuzzaman admitted that the traffic congestion on the day was caused by rallies and VIP movement during the first part of the day.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net