A short burst of rain, coupled with the influx of Eid shoppers, caused heavy traffic congestion in various parts of the capital on Thursday.
The light rain, which began at 12:30 pm and lasted about 30 minutes, significantly worsened traffic conditions in areas already overwhelmed by shoppers, including Shantinagar, Mouchak, Paltan, Malibagh, New Market, and Bashundhara.
Commuters were stranded for hours as street hawkers encroached on roads and illegally parked vehicles further clogged major intersections.
The congestion was particularly intense near shopping malls, where crowds gathered for Eid-ul-Fitr preparations. Despite the presence of traffic police, no effective measures were visible to ease the gridlock.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department predicted rain or thundershowers with lightning and gusty winds in parts of the country. Rain is expected in isolated areas of Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, with hailstorms possible in some locations.
Elsewhere, the weather is expected to remain mainly dry with a partly cloudy sky. A mild heatwave sweeping over Rajshahi and Sirajganj may abate, with a slight drop in daytime temperatures and a slight rise in nighttime temperatures across the country.
