PM Returns from New York
Reception at airport, sufferings on road
The tailback on Airport Road that started yesterday afternoon and caused immense sufferings to commuters until 9:00pm. Awami League leaders and activists' enthusiasm to greet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in processions on her return home from the US led to the traffic jam.Photo: STARRashidul Hasan
Hundreds of people suffered for several hours thanks to the Awami League workers' reception to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her return home from New York last night after attending the 65th UN General Assembly.
The ruling AL and its affiliated organisations arranged the reception, as Sheikh Hasina received the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Award for Bangladesh's outstanding achievement in reducing child mortality -- one of the eight MDGs.
Party men assembled in long queue by both sides of the road stretching from Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to Airport to greet the premier, also the AL president. The parliament session was also adjourned enabling lawmakers in the capital to mobilise people for the reception, sources said.
Hundreds of vehicles got virtually stuck on the capital's busiest Airport Road from afternoon till around 9:00pm.
A number of ambulances carrying patients also remained stuck in front of the PMO.
City's traffic system partially collapsed due to the wave of processions of the AL men who carried banners, festoons, placards and chanted slogans welcoming Hasina. Farmgate, Mohakhali, Banani, Tejgaon, Gulshan, Khilgaon Biswa Road and Uttara are among those areas that witnessed severe traffic congestion.
In some areas, traffic movement depended on the movement of the processions, and the traffic police had nothing to do but watch. "I'm stuck for about three hours. My car is running out of gas. I don't know what to do," said a man near the airport intersection.Like him, many other people narrated how they suffered in the traffic deadlock for hours.They questioned whether the AL could accord the reception at Gono Bhaban or the prime minister could use an alternative route to reach home.
Security on all roads, lanes and rooftops of different buildings were tight to ensure security of the premier as well as the processions escorting her.However, some people alleged that they were made to join the profession for hours in the scorching heat."I was told that I would have to wait for an hour. We came here around 1:00pm and it's 5:30pm now. We haven't had lunch yet," Afzal Hossain, of city's Kamrangirchar area, told The Daily Star near the PMO.
Asked, AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said people accorded the reception to the premier for achieving the MDG Award.An Emirates Airline flight carrying Hasina landed at the airport at 7:55pm. Senior AL leaders including its General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, presidium members Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Matia Chowdhury, members of the cabinet, senior civil and military officers welcomed Hasina at the VVIP Lounge.
After landing, Hasina expressed strong commitment to achieve the MDGs and hoped the MDG Award will help reach the objective."It's (MDG Award) an achievement for the entire nation…this achievement will encourage us in achieving more success in future," she said at a grand reception at the airport premises.The prime minister reached at Gono Bhaban around 8:55pm, a PMO spokesperson said.
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