It began like a usual Sunday but gradually turned into a traffic nightmare for most commuters. Even the police could not offer any explanation for the maddening traffic rush that spilled over well into the evening, engulfing all the city streets, including alleyways, particularly near the shopping malls and big markets.
On the 20th day of Ramadan, thoroughfares like Panthopath, Elephant Road, Mirpur Road, and Satmasjid Road were choc-a-block in the late evening as Eid shoppers descended on them in hordes.
However, what about those streets which are nowhere close to malls or markets? Topkhana Road, Bijoynagar, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani Road, Shahid Captain Mansur Ali Road, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue all the way up to the Airport, Rokeya Sarani and the roads leading to Gulshan circles 1 and 2 were also packed with vehicles.
In Gulshan area, the cleaners of the Dhaka City North Corporation staged a demonstration, demanding regularisation of jobs. However, it was over by afternoon.
It took over two hours to arrive at The Independent media house at Tejgaon from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar down Gulshan-1.
The sultry afternoon heat that pushed up the mercury to 35.2 degrees Celsius made the endless wait in vehicles even more torturous.
Some bus drivers tried to beat the snarl on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue by taking Rokeya Sarani. It was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The jam was even worse.
Even the narrow streets linking Shahid Tajuddin Sarani to Hatir Jheel on the way to Gulshan Circle 1 were choked, making it difficult for even cycle-rickshaws to negotiate their way out of the mess. It was particularly tough for those who kept their fast and yet had to travel by public transport to their destinations.