Little public transport on roads, commuters rely on rickshaws

In response to the call for a 'complete shutdown' across the country on Thursday (July 18), public transport in Dhaka has significantly decreased, causing considerable inconvenience for city residents. The shutdown was announced by protesters opposing the recent attacks on the movement demanding quota reform in government jobs.

Since early morning, public transport has been scarce in various parts of the capital, leading to severe difficulties for commuters, especially office-goers. By around 10:30am, areas such as Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, and Shahbagh were particularly affected.

On the ground, many passengers were seen waiting for buses with little success. In some areas, buses were almost nonexistent, and the occasional BRTC buses that did appear were overcrowded. 

The lack of public transport forced many to resort to rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, or walking to reach their destinations. Women, in particular, faced greater difficulties boarding the few available buses due to the crowds.

Despite the transport issues, there was no visible presence of protesters or police in these areas till 11:00am. 

However, significant disruption was observed on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Jatrabari, where protesters blocked the road. The blockade, which started in the morning, has halted all traffic in and out of Dhaka, including rickshaws, motorcycles, and bicycles, causing extreme inconvenience for regular commuters, especially office workers.