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Traffic in Dhaka’s Banani has come to a standstill for nearly six hours as hundreds of CNG-run autorickshaw drivers blocked roads near the BRTA office, demanding permission to operate freely in the city.
The standoff ended around 6:30pm after a promise of talks with the BRTA chairman, brokered by the Army and police officers, leading protesters to vacate the roads and allowing traffic to resume, bdnews24.com reports.
The drivers, who are registered to operate in Dhaka district but not within the city corporation limits, blocked both sides of the road near the BRTA headquarters from 12:30pm, pressing for route access or full movement rights within city boundaries.
Although the northbound lane was reopened around 3pm, the remaining blockade caused severe congestion on adjacent streets, spilling into neighbourhoods such as Gulshan and Mohakhali. Commuters faced long delays, with many forced to walk home.
“Once the drivers cleared the road at 6:30pm, we began working to ease the pressure,” said Ziaur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner of traffic (Gulshan division).
The gridlock stretched as far as the airport roundabout, said Sharmin Akhtar Chumki, assistant commissioner of the Airport Zone, adding that although traffic was moving again, it was at a crawl.
Caught in the chaos, commuter Tariqul Islam walked to Banani with his wife and child from Kurmitola.
“They block roads whenever they feel like it; our suffering doesn't matter,” he said.
Another commuter, also named Tariqul Islam, who lives in Azimpur, echoed the frustration: “This trend of bringing the city to a halt for narrow demands is unacceptable. Thousands suffer for a few.”
Tensions flared briefly when motorcyclists attempted to pass along the footpath, leading to arguments with the protesters.
Protesters also draped banners over police armoured vehicles deployed to the site.
A driver from Bhuiyan Paribahan said his bus had been stranded for hours. “I’ve been stuck here since noon. I can’t go forward or reverse.”
By afternoon, the protesters had also surrounded the BRTA’s main entrance, trapping staff inside. Additional police and Army units were called in to control the situation.
Eventually, a group of demonstrators was invited to a meeting with BRTA officials. The remaining protesters agreed to clear the road, and Army and police personnel helped move them to the footpaths to restore order.