Heavy and persistent rainfall began in Dhaka on Wednesday (2 October) night, continuing sporadically into Thursday (3 October) morning. This downpour, lasting several hours, has caused significant waterlogging in various parts of the capital, resulting in severe traffic jams.
Commuters, especially office-goers and students, have been particularly hard hit by the disruptions.
On Thursday morning, major areas of the city such as Malibagh, Shahbagh, Shantinagar, Mirpur, New Market, and Motijheel were inundated, leading to heavy traffic congestion. Residents across Dhaka found themselves in great difficulty.
Hasibul Alam, an employee at a private firm, recounted his struggles, saying, "I left home early this morning, anticipating the rain. However, the traffic jams were so bad that I had to walk part of the way through the rain. I plan to take a rickshaw further along."
Similarly, Lokman Hossain, a resident of Motijheel, expressed his frustration, saying, "Buses are hard to come by due to the rain, and rickshaw pullers are demanding higher fares. I’ve decided to walk to the office."
According to a forecast from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, regions including Rajshahi, Dhaka, Pabna, Bogura, Tangail, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Jashore, Kushtia, Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Cumilla, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, and Sylhet may experience temporary gusty or squally winds from the south/southeast at speeds of 45-60 km/h, accompanied by rainfall and thunderstorms by 1pm on Thursday.
River ports in these areas have been advised to hoist cautionary signal number 1.
BMD rain also warned of a low-pressure system forming over the sea within the next 48 hours, which may result in increased rainfall over the next two to three days.
