Roads in Dhaka empty on holiday

Dhaka has taken on a different appearance on the government holiday marking Holy Eid e Miladunnabi (PBUH). In the capital where people regularly face severe difficulties due to familiar traffic congestion, Dhaka today appears unusually calm and quiet. A visit to Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Dhanmondi found significantly fewer vehicles and pedestrians on the roads compared with other days. There were no long lines of traffic or constant honking in the side streets. Drivers also did not have to endure long waits at traffic signals.

The holiday atmosphere and the beauty of the relatively empty capital have caught the attention of working city residents. Sazzad Hossain who works at a private company in Dhanmondi said, “If Dhaka city remained this empty on other days of the week like it does on holidays, the city would be much more beautiful and orderly.”

He left from Kallyanpur for Bashundhara with more than an hour in hand but reached his destination in just half an hour. Like him many people are breathing a sigh of relief because there were no traffic jams.

However while the entire city is enjoying the relief of the holiday, the empty roads have brought a different situation for low income people. The earnings of rickshaw pullers and public transport workers in particular have dropped significantly. With few passengers on the roads, they are worried about collecting their daily payments. Rickshaw puller Kabir expressed his frustration saying, “There are very few people on the roads today. It was a loss to bring the vehicle out because the day is so empty. I am not even sure whether I will be able to make the rickshaw payment by the end of the day.”

While the traffic free day has brought relief to ordinary city residents, religious celebrations have also drawn crowds at some points along the empty roads. Processions and convoys of vehicles marking Holy Eid e Miladunnabi can be seen at different intersections and on major roads across the city. Devout Muslims are celebrating the day with joy and reverence while naats and ghazals related to Miladunnabi are being played through sound systems.

The relief of the empty roads on one side and the continuous celebrations on the other have given Dhaka a different atmosphere today.