Massive Traffic jam grips Dhaka as thousands attend Islamic conference

Dhaka has been hit by severe traffic jams since early this Tuesday morning, with many roads still stuck in gridlock by midday.

The cause of the chaos? 

Thousands of people have come to the city to attend an Islamic convention at Sohrawardy Udyan, which has filled the park and the surrounding streets with attendees.

From the very start of the day, vehicles carrying participants have been clogging the streets. 

Some people have had to walk to the event, while others crowded the metro, putting extra pressure on public transport.

Zinia Hasan, who was stuck in traffic at Sark Fountain around 6:45 AM, said, “I’ve never seen traffic like this so early in the morning. The roads are completely packed today.”

Nazarul Islam, who was traveling by motorcycle from Shewrapara to Karwan Bazar, faced no problems getting to Bijoy Sarani, but the road turned into a nightmare after that. 

"From Bijoy Sarani to Farmgate, the traffic was completely stopped. Cars were barely moving," he explained.

Naznin Islam, traveling with her child from Bashundhara, had a smooth drive on the Elevated Expressway until Farmgate, but from there, she got stuck. 

She eventually decided to take the metro instead.

Around Dhaka University, the situation was even worse. The roads near the campus were filled with people attending the event, creating huge traffic jams. 

Students who were heading to classes also got caught in the delays, and some classes had to be canceled.

Dhaka University’s Proctor, Saifuddin Ahmed said, "We tried to manage the crowd by stopping cars from parking near the campus last night, but with so many people, it’s been hard to keep control."

The chaos continues as the city struggles to deal with the huge number of people attending the event, making travel in Dhaka a real challenge today.