Commuters have been facing severe traffic congestion on the capital's roads since this morning and the situation may last throughout the day, given the number of mass events today.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police advised commuters to keep extra time in hand when navigating the capital, as some major roads may be blocked due to "Ratha Yatra", a Hindu religious festival, and the "Bangla Blockade", protests against the quota system.
In addition, HSC exams will start at 2:00pm, and today is the first day of the work week.
Private employee Abdul Alim said he was stuck in one place for 30 minutes while riding his motorbike through the Shahbagh intersection at 11:00am.
Another private job holder, Mahmudul Hasan, said, "I was going towards Farmgate from Khilgaon in a private car at 10:30am. After arriving close to the InterContinental Hotel, I noticed huge traffic bottlenecks on the Shahbagh-to-Farmgate routes.
"I had to go back and take Moghbazar route to get to Farmgate. Because of the traffic, it took more than an hour today to get from Khilgaon to Farmgate as opposed to 30-40 minutes on other days," he told The Daily Star.
Another office-goer, Sadat Hossain, said because of the heavy traffic on the roads today, he witnessed a lot of passenger pressure on the metro.
Around 9:30am, college student Raid Hasan said he had been stuck in the Bijoy Sarani area for 30 minutes.
Adnan Sejan claimed to have been stranded in front of Square Hospital for more than 40 minutes when he was going to visit his relative in the hospital.
Meanwhile, users were flooding Facebook group "Traffic Alert" with posts regarding the morning traffic, venting anger over the hours of delay.
SM Mehedi Hasan, joint commissioner (south) of DMP's Traffic Division, announced during a press conference at the DMP Media Centre this morning that a rally commemorating the Hindu community's religious celebration of Ratha Yatra is set to take place in the city. The rally will march over many roadways in Dhaka.
Moreover, significant events like the ongoing anti-quota movement may cause traffic congestion for city people.
As a result, the traffic division asked those living in the Ramna, Motijheel, and Wari areas to budget for additional time before embarking on any journeys.
A nine-day Ratha Yatra celebration has been planned in Dhaka by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
The devotees will pull the ropes of the chariots (Rathas) from Swamibagh Ashram through Jaikali Temple intersection, Ittefaq crossing, Motijheel Shapla Chattar, Dainik Bangla intersection, Rajuk Bhaban crossing, Gulistan, Golapshah Mazar, Police Headquarters, Government Employees Hospital, High Court crossing, Doel Chattar, Central Shaheed Minar, Jagannath Hall, Palashi Crossing and round up the Ratha Yatra on the premises of the Dhakeshwari National Temple, reads a press release.
The DMP has requested vehicle users and drivers to use alternative routes avoiding these streets on the occasion.
Ulto Ratha Yatra (reverse journey) will be brought out at 3:00pm on July 15 from Dhakeshwari National Temple.
Devotees will pull the ropes of the chariots on the same route from Dhakeshwari Temple to Swamibagh ISKCON temple.
Meanwhile, students demonstrating against quotas in government jobs are set to block key intersections in the capital and highways next to campuses across the country this afternoon.
Dhaka University student Nahid Islam, a key organiser, announced that the demonstrations, "Bangla Blockade", will begin at 3:00pm at key intersections in Dhaka and highways.
In Dhaka, Shahbagh, Science Lab, Chankharpool, Nilkhet, Motijheel and other intersections near educational institutions will be blocked, he said.
College and university students elsewhere will block highways, he added.