Dhaka streets quiet amid tight security, transport restrictions

DE Online Desk
As the 12th national election was held across Bangladesh, Dhaka’s usually bustling streets presented a markedly different scene on Sunday, characterised by emptiness and a palpable calm.
Voting commenced at 8am and continue uninterrupted until 4pm, under heightened security measures.
BNP and its allied parties, in protest against the election, have called a hartal which started at 6am Saturday and will continue till 6am Monday. Despite the Election Commission (EC) designating the day as a general holiday to facilitate voting, the number of public transport vehicles plying Dhaka streets was notably lower than on a typical day.
Dhaka residents resorted to walking or using rickshaws to reach their nearest polling centres, with even the number of rickshaws available falling short of the usual count. Visits to various Dhaka areas, including Bhatara, Badda, Rampura, Banani, Mohakhali, Shantinagar, Karwan Bazar, Panthapath, Kalabagan, Science Laboratory intersection, Shahbagh, and Kakrail, revealed an absence of private vehicles on the roads.