Dhaka is bracing for a busy Sunday as the city hosts three major public gatherings alongside two important public examinations—the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exams.
In anticipation of heavy traffic congestion, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has issued special traffic advisories and urged commuters to avoid Shahbagh and surrounding areas.
The Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (BNP’s student wing) will hold a rally at Shahbagh intersetion from 12 PM to 6 PM to mark the first anniversary of the July–August mass uprising.
The National Citizens’ Party (NCP) will organize a public meeting at the Central Shaheed Minar from 3 PM to 6 PM, demanding enforcement of the “July Declaration and Charter.”
The Saimum Cultural Group continues its "July Awakening" cultural festival at Suhrawardy Udyan, which is being held daily from 10 AM to 10 PM until August 4.
Alternative Traffic Routes
Due to expected large crowds near Shahbagh, Central Shaheed Minar, and Suhrawardy Udyan, DMP has advised the public to avoid the Shahbagh Crossing, which will be inaccessible to regular traffic. The following alternate routes have been suggested:
Vehicles coming from the north via Sonargaon or Banglamotor should avoid heading directly toward Shahbagh via Hotel InterContinental. Instead, they should turn left and use Hair Road or Minto Road.
Traffic from Science Lab via Elephant Road should turn right at Katabon to go through Nilkhet or Palashi, or turn left toward Haatirpool and Banglamotor Link Road.
Vehicles coming via High Court–Kadom Fountain crossing should avoid Shahbagh and proceed via Hair Road or Shaheed Captain Monsur Ali Sarani (Moghbazar Road).
Traffic from Kakrail Mosque heading north should move toward Gulistan or Dhaka University via High Court, avoiding Shahbagh.
Vehicles from Nilkhet or Doel Chattar are advised to use Doel Chattar or Nilkhet routes, avoiding TSC and Raju Sculpture crossings.
Security Tightened Across the City
To maintain order, the DMP has ramped up security around all rally venues. Extra law enforcement personnel have been deployed, and checkpoints have been set up across key points in the capital.
Authorities from both NCP and Chhatra Dal have been instructed to ensure that no third party infiltrates the gatherings to incite violence or unrest. The TSC area, which lies between the two main rally sites, is under heightened security surveillance.
According to DIG (Operations) Md. Rezaul Karim, additional police have been deployed not just in Dhaka but across the country to prevent any acts of sabotage. He added that law enforcement is also actively monitoring social media for signs of incitement or planned disruptions.
Candidates for the HSC and BCS exams have been advised to leave home well ahead of time to avoid traffic-related delays.
