The drivers of battery-powered rickshaws blocked roads in different parts of the capital on Thursday morning, protesting a ban on their movement in city streets. The roads include Mohakhali, Basila Dhaka Uddyan, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-12, Kazipara, Shewrapara and Mirpur Golchattar and Agargaon areas of the capital. Commuters have been experiencing a gridlock in different parts of the capital following the blockade programme. JU student dies in rickshaw accident, protests erupt for justice Besides, the rail communication between Dhaka and other parts of the country got snapped as the protesting drivers blocked the rail tracks in Mohakhali area at the same time, causing immense sufferings to travellers.

The Traffic Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 2,131 cases and imposed fines totalling Tk 77,65,500 during operations targeting traffic rule violations on Wednesday. The fines were for various offences, including speeding, illegal parking, and driving without the necessary documentation or safety measures, said Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of the DMP, in a media release on Wednesday. In addition, 240 vehicles were seized and impounded, while 68 others were towed due to poor driving practices, he added.

The traffic division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 1,131 cases and collected over Tk 47 lakh in fines during drives against traffic rule violators on Monday. Talebur Rahman, DC (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), shared the information in a media release on Tuesday. Additionally, 223 vehicles were impounded, and 68 others were towed during the drives conducted in different parts of the capital. 799 cases filed, Tk 33.39 lakh fine imposed for breaching traffic rules: DMP The drive will continue to maintain discipline, he said.      

The extended holidays for Eid-ul-Azha have come to an end, and the residents of the capital are starting to return to rejoin work. Having spent the holidays with loved ones, people have begun streaming back into Dhaka, marking the end of a brief period of tranquility in the bustling metropolis. From early morning today, Kamalapur Railway Station witnessed a significant crowd as city dwellers arrived back from their hometowns. Around ten million people had left Dhaka to celebrate Eid with their families, dramatically altering the usual busy atmosphere of the city. Read more: Eid journey was safe this time due to use of speed guns: Bangladesh Police Families, carrying luggage and gifts from their hometowns, were seen disembarking from trains and hailing rickshaws and CNG-run auto rickshaws to reach their destinations.

The exit ramp of Dhaka Elevated Expressway's Karwan Bazar section, in front of FDC, opened to traffic on Wednesday (March 20, 2024). Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader formally opened the ramp in the morning. With this, 16 ramps of the Elevated Expressway have been opened so far. On September 3 last year, the 11.5 km Airport-Farmgate stretch of Dhaka Elevated Expressway was opened to traffic and today the FDC gate ramp was opened. “This is an Eid gift from the Prime Minister for the people,” Quader said. “We will be able to fully open it by the beginning of next year. Hatirjheel ramp will be opened and progress is on following that direction,” he added. Onion prices fall by Tk30 per kg as seasonal supply rises in market Asked about the increased traffic congestion in Dhaka during the month of Ramadan, the minister said, “People go to shopping malls during Ramadan and there will be some traffic jam. However, there is no traffic jam from Uttara to Motijheel. People can easily reach their destinations.” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on September 2, 2023 inaugurated the Airport-Farmgate segment of Dhaka Elevated Expressway. The total length of the expressway is 19.73 km and people can enter and exit the expressway through ramps in 31 points. The project director said 72.51 percent work of the expressway has been completed and the work at Hatirjheel and Panthakunja points is underway. 2 killed in separate accidents in Sylhet and Chandpur  The Dhaka Elevated Expressway project was undertaken in 2011. On December 15, 2013, Bangladesh Bridge Authority signed a revised agreement with First Dhaka Elevated Expressway Company Limited, the investment company of the project.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations for 2024 started today, with over 2 million students from 29,735 educational institutions expected to participate. The Ministry of Education has announced that the exams will start at 10 am across 3,700 centers nationwide. To ensure the integrity of the examination process, no mobile phones or electronic devices will be permitted within the exam centers, except for a basic phone set without internet access to be used exclusively by the hall secretary. The question code will be disclosed 25 minutes prior to the start of each exam, streamlining the process for students and staff alike. DMP forms 'quick response team' to ease movements of SSC examinees  In a notable departure from tradition, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel has decided not to visit any examination centers this year, aiming to reduce the stress levels among students. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Traffic Department is taking proactive measures to facilitate a smooth commute for examinees by forming a "quick response team." This initiative is designed to address any transportation issues students might face en route to their examination centers. Md Munibur Rahman, the Additional Commissioner (Traffic) of the DMP, emphasized the importance of students planning their travel to arrive at least 30 minutes before their exams begin. He also offered guidance for navigating traffic safely, advising students to use foot over bridges and zebra crossings where available and to seek assistance from traffic police in case of congestion or other issues. 2 SSC exam centres along BD-Myanmar border relocated

The daylong hartal, called by BNP to protest the schedule for the next national election, is underway in a lax manner. BNP called the hartal on the last date for submitting nomination papers to contest the 12th parliamentary polls. The hartal started at 6 am and will end at 6 pm today (November 30, 2023). Two covered vans were set on fire by miscreants in Gazipur. BNP to enforce daylong hartal Thursday Despite fear of arson attacks, a number of vehicles including public transport were seen plying the city streets. Additional police were seen performing their duties at all key points of Dhaka. The opposition parties’ shutdown is meant to register their protest against the schedule for the next national election announced by the Election Commission (EC), and to mount pressure on the government to quit, hold the next election under a non-party neutral government and release the opposition leaders and activists, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. BNP to enforce blockade Wednesday, hartal Thursday The 24-hour blockade called by the opposition parties on Wednesday was marked by stray incidents of arson attacks on vehicles. The opposition parties have so far observed blockades in eight phases.

Traffic flow on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway has exceeded all expectations and targets, with over 30,000 vehicles on average using it daily till October 2, marking a month since it was opened to the public on September 3. A total of 900,627 vehicles used the expressway till October 2 since it was formally opened by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on, and a total of Tk 7.29 crore was collected as toll during the period, said Dhaka Elevated Expressway Project Director AHMS Akhtar. Private cars, taxis, sports utility vehicles, microbuses (less than 16 seats), and light trucks (less than 3 tonnes) are among the Category-1 vehicles that have to pay a Tk 80 toll to use the Expressway. During the first month, 892,250 of the vehicles that used the expressway were in the category, accounting for over 99 percent of all vehicles. Medium vehicles (up to 6 wheels) are included in Category-2, with a Tk 320 toll. The motorway was used by 1,468 vehicles in this category. How much did Elevated Expressway earn in tolls in first 3 weeks? Trucks with more than six wheels are classified as Category-3, with a toll of Tk 400. There were 49 of these vehicles on the expressway during the first month.  And category 4 or all sorts of buses (16 seats or more) pay a toll of 160 taka, with a total of 6,860 vehicles in this category. It accounts for 0.76 percent of all vehicles that used the expressway during the time period. "We are happy as more vehicles are using the Dhaka Elevated Expressway exceeding our expected target," said Akhtar. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally opened the Airport-Farmgate section of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway by paying a Tk 2,000 toll for her motorcade's 25 vehicles on September 2. The following day, the route from the Airport to Farmgate was opened for vehicular movements. It takes 10–12 minutes to travel from the Airport to Farmgate using the expressway. Elevated expressway a big step towards Smart Bangladesh: Korean Ambassador "Though we expected that on average around 20,000 vehicles would use the expressway daily, now the number has increased to more than 30,000 vehicles," Akhtar also said, which means the traffic witnessed is a significant 50% higher than expected.  Replying to a question, the project director said the city’s residents from the Airport to Tejgaon area have been witnessing slightly smoother movement of vehicles on the streets. "We will get the visible benefits when the expressway is fully completed and opened to the public."

The situation on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur is better than the last few years.However, since this morning, there are crowds of home-goers at various important points including Chandana intersection on the highway and the pressure of vehicles is also very high.To keep the movement of vehicles smooth on the highway, the road is being monitored round the clock with the deployment of additional traffic police at important points including Chandana, Bhogra Bypass intersection, Board Bazar, and Station Road.There are certain routes with fewer vehicles and more commuters. Many said they have to wait for a long time for buses, and taking advantage of this, transport workers are charging extra fare.Buses on the Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Sherpur, Netrakona and other routes are charging about one and a half times more than usual fare, they complained.Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (traffic) Mohammad Alamgir Hossain said, about 1,000 traffic police personnel, APBN members and rover scouts have been deployed in three shifts to maintain normal traffic conditions on the highway during this year's Eid journey.Special monitoring is going on to prevent unfit vehicles from plying the road. Some tow-trucks have also been kept ready at different points of the highway.

Traffic congestion on the old Dhaka-Narayanganj road from Chashara to Panchabati, Fatullah Bazar, and post office to Munshi Khola of Pagla has become a daily routine. School and college students, as well as garment workers and professionals, are often stuck in traffic. Owing to lack of proper monitoring from public representatives and top administration officials, it has become impossible to bring the traffic congestion under control. As a result, there is no end to passengers’ suffering from morning to night. The reason for this traffic congestion, among others, is that buses pick up passengers by braking anywhere on either side of the road at Panchabati intersection; freight trucks load and unload at the entrance of the market adjacent to Fatullah Mosque, and the illegally built easybike stand in front of Shibu Market at Fatullah Post Office. As a result, the traffic on this essential road remains gridlocked and passengers suffer for countless hours. Read more: Traffic woes: Dhaka will see a ‘massive difference’ by 2030, PM says Another reason contributing to the traffic congestion is empty trucks being parked on the Dhaka-Narayanganj DND road. Apart from that, goods-laden trucks constantly face difficulty crossing the entry and exit points of Fatullah. Despite having traffic police nearby, they are not performing their duties properly. The road between BSCIC Gate2 to Panchabati is frequently congested. only because the truck drivers and auto rickshaws violate traffic laws, causing significant suffering for passengers. Even pedestrians face difficulty walking on footpaths. Munshikhola, Taltala is the hub for the country's largest rod cements. From here bricks, cement and rods are supplied to north and south Bengal. Many of the regular commuters on this road said it is difficult to tell how they will travel during this holy month of Ramadan. In addition to occupying the entire road, easybike-mishuk-buses-trucks are also parked on mud roads hampering movement of people. The commuters admit that no driver of any vehicle, big or small, wants to obey the traffic rules. In order to remove traffic congestion on this route, the common people strongly demanded increased community policing along with the traffic police. That can free parts of the road of traffic jams. Specifically, commuters UNB spoke to blamed the drivers and helpers of two transport companies - Ananda and Borak Paribahan - for contributing to the traffic mess. The residents of Fatullah demanded that drivers and helpers, owners' associations and labour leaders should be aware and united to ease the traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Narayanganj DND road and the administration and the traffic police have to be vigilant in solving this problem.