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ENTRY POINTS TO CAPITAL

Checkposts lead to long tailbacks
Many allege excesses by law enforcers ahead of AL, BNP rallies; people suffer for lack of transport inside city
STAR REPORT
Travellers faced immense sufferings yesterday due to a gridlock at a point of entry to the city and a shortage of public transport centring rallies of Awami League and BNP.
Dhaka-bound people on the Dhaka-Aricha highway suffered the worst as a long tailback was created after police set up a checkpoint in Savar’s Amin Bazar area.
Cops were seen searching vehicles, passengers and pedestrians. They even checked some peoples’ mobile phones.
Many travellers said they were stuck in traffic for hours, while some others resorted to walking to their destinations.
“I have been in Salehpur bridge area for around two hours. My sister, who lives in Mirpur, is severely ill. I have to go to her as fast as possible. I started walking as I have no other way to get there,” said Abdur Rahim, a bus passenger, around 12:30pm.
Kamal Hossain, 45, a private organisation employee, said when the bus he was on reached Amin Bazar, police halted the vehicle and the passengers were asked to get down.
“I had no choice but to walk,” he told The Daily Star.
Deepak Chandra Saha, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, said, “This is part of our regular search. It was intensified to prevent any untoward incident in the capital ahead of the rallies.”
The BNP alleged that police in the morning halted 40 microbuses hired by the party activists to join the rally, but police denied the allegation.
Three youths, two of whom were siblings, on their way to the capital to catch a flight, were held by cops during the search, alleged their families.
But OC Deepak refuted the claim.
The BNP also alleged that police picked up 40 of its activists at Birulia and Amin Bazar checkpoints. Police dismissed this allegation as well.
In Narayanganj, checkpoints were set up at Signboard, Mouchak, Kanchpur and Madanpur points -- gateways to the capital through the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet highways.
Aminul Islam, who was travelling from Cumilla’s Daudkandi to Dhaka, said, “Police halted our bus at three points -- Kanchpur, Chittagong Road and Signboard.”
In Gazipur, police set up checkpoints at Chandra and Joydebpur intersections, Kapasia bridge and Haldoba points.
Congestion was created at Kaliakoir Bazar as AL activists held a rally blocking road, said witnesses.
In Munshiganj, bus owners suspended services to Dhaka.
Meanwhile, a lack of public transport caused trouble for commuters in the city.
Around 10:30am at Shyamoli bus stand, Fatema Tuz Zohra had been waiting for a bus over one and a half hours to go to Jatrabari.
“There is no bus. I have never seen such light traffic. I’m worried about returning home,” said Fatema, who took her one-year-old daughter Md
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