Bangladesh, Dhaka, Aug 17: A sudden spell of heavy rain submerged large parts of Bangladesh’s capital on Sunday morning, leaving commuters stranded in knee-deep water and sparking hours-long traffic congestion across the city.
The downpour caused severe waterlogging in key areas including Mirpur, Shewrapara, Kazipara, and Dhanmondi. Major roads became impassable, with vehicles stuck in long queues and rickshaws struggling to move through flooded streets.
Photographs from Shewrapara and Kazipara showed floodwaters rising to footpath level, forcing pedestrians to wade through dirty water. Rickshaw-pullers and van drivers navigated submerged roads with difficulty, adding to the gridlock.
Commuters recounted frustrating journeys. Oishi Roy, an office-goer from Mirpur-2, said she had to walk through knee-deep water to reach Kazipara metro station after rickshaws were unavailable. “I still couldn’t reach the station because all vehicles were stranded, so I had to walk again,” she said, adding that she arrived late for work.
Another commuter, Shreyoshi from Mirpur-13, said her drive to Karwan Bazar took two hours. “I started around 10:45 am and only reached at 12:45 pm. I was stuck for hours in traffic at Mirpur 10, Kazipara, and Shewrapara,” she told local media.
Parents also struggled to drop their children at schools, while office-goers across the city reported delays.
Although skies cleared later in the day, stagnant water remained on major roads into the afternoon, disrupting daily life even as traffic slowly began to ease.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) forecast more rainfall in the coming days. “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with gusty wind is likely at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, with heavy falls at isolated places,” the BMD said in its morning bulletin.