Dhaka commuters suffer as protest blocks Banani road, clogging traffic

Many roads in Dhaka are enmeshed in gridlock after the death of a female garment worker in an accident sparked a blockade by her colleagues in the Banani area. The heavy congestion has made travel difficult for commuters across the capital.

The garment worker was killed in the Chairman Bari U-Turn area around 6am on Monday and a colleague of hers was also injured.

Garment workers then blocked Airport Road as well as traffic on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. The protest has brought traffic to a standstill on many roads in the area.

A commuter named Aminul Islam was waiting for transport in front of the Radisson Blu Water Garden hotel on Airport Road around 10:45am. "There has been a traffic jam since this morning. It took me an hour to get from Khilkhet to the Radisson. I am going to Mirpur," he said.

Mahatab Ali, who works as a driver for a government official, said they had left Bashundhara by 8:30am to reach the office by 9:30am. They took the expressway to the Secretariat, as they did every day. But there was a snarl of traffic at the Kuril Flyover that blocked their way. Finally, they decided to turn back and, after two-and-a-half hours, arrived in front of the Radisson.

bdnews24.com Correspondent Obaidur Masum said, "We reached the Kuril end of the Purbachal Expressway at 10:45am. It took over an hour to reach Mirpur No. 10 via the Kalshi flyover.

There are heavy traffic jams around the Kuril intersection and in the surrounding area."

A man named Shahriar Hasan was walking from Mohakhali to Banani to get to work. He told bdnews24.com, "We have to suffer when people do not act consciously. We have to walk to the office. Heavy congestion. Why do we have to cross the middle of the road even though Banani has a pedestrian overbridge?”

A social media user named Shakila Zinat wrote, “I have been stuck in front of the Banani Elevated Expressway for three hours and 40 minutes. The situation is chaotic. How is this possible?”

Another user named Debabrata Mukherjee wrote, “Three hours and 22 minutes. Mohammadpur to Banani. Still, I grieve for the two girls who died in the car accident. It is also true that the way our garment workers sprint across roads, the drivers of heavy vehicles can’t do much. It would be better if traffic assistants were posted at all such spots.”

“Many are talking about pedestrian overbridges. First of all, pedestrian overbridges are, in principle, an inhuman solution. Our state is full of inhumans, which is why it causes this suffering to its citizens. And, even if we accept that, it is almost impossible for garment workers to use the pedestrian overbridge. Thousands arrive at and leave work at a time. If you give them serial numbers for using these overbridges, they will not be on time. As a result, arrangements will have to be made for them to cross the roads.”

Hasib Hasan Khan, director of the Traffic, Safety and Security Department of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, told bdnews24.com: “Hundreds of garment workers came and blocked the expressway. Then we negotiated and arranged for the vehicles stuck in the expressway to pass. We said – after that, if necessary, we will close the road if your demands are not met. The expressway has been closed since 7am.”

The Gulshan Traffic Department’s Facebook page says that it is not clear which vehicle caused the accident. The garment workers have blocked both sides of the road and halted traffic on the Elevated Expressway.

Vehicles at the Banani-Kakoli Crossing and the Mohakhali-Amtoli Crossing are being diverted by police due to the road blockade. Police at the scene are attempting to bring the situation under control.