
Protests on the Streets, Chaotic System: The Struggling Life of the Capital’s Citizens
Progga Das
Dhaka is the economic, administrative, and cultural heart of Bangladesh. Every day, millions of people move through this city for work, healthcare, education, or in search of various civic services. Yet today, the roads of Dhaka no longer lead to destinations; instead, they are riddled with congestion, suffering, and endless sighs. Unregulated protests, blockades, and chaos on the streets are tearing apart the city's natural rhythm. Citizens of the capital are now going through what can be described as a "humanitarian crisis," rooted in a systematic lack of order that injects disorder and distress into every vein of urban life. While protest is a democratic right, when it becomes unplanned, uncontrolled, and persistently blocks daily life, it ceases to be a right and instead turns into a form of social oppression. The frequent scenes of blockades in Dhaka, from student movements, labor unrest, political programs, or outrage sparked by administrative failure , all stem from a grave lack of good governance. And this shortfall is not due to a single cause but is linked to multiple underlying issues: the dirty game of vested interests, flawed state planning, lack of alternative traffic routes, failure to ensure emergency services, and severe negligence in raising public awareness. As a result, the roads of Dhaka are plagued by indescribable traffic jams. Protests on the roads have turned traffic congestion into a daily phenomenon. Working people are stuck for hours trying to reach their destinations, reducing their productivity. Emergency services like ambulances and fire trucks are delayed, putting lives at risk. Students fail to reach their educational institutions or exam centers on time, disrupting their studies and damaging their academic prospects. Moreover, these protests severely affect the economy of Bangladesh. According to the World Bank and local economists, road chaos and traffic congestion in Dhaka cause an estimated daily economic loss of around 30 to 45 crore BDT (300 to 450 million), amounting to nearly 10 billion USD annually. Delayed deliveries during office hours, disruption in export-oriented industries, wasted working hours, income loss for small businesses, retail shops, and food vendors, and diminished confidence from international buyers, all these factors create stagnation in Dhaka’s economic flow. This economic damage is significantly hindering the nation’s developmental momentum. Unnecessary protests are also shattering the city's order and bringing its mobility to a standstill. Noise pollution is increasing, leading to hearing issues and environmental imbalance. Fuel wastage due to traffic jams is increasing air pollution. Social harmony is being undermined as public frustration, intolerance, blame-shifting, and non-cooperation grow, weakening the social fabric. This situation poses a threat to the national unity of any state. It is, therefore, urgently necessary to take effective measures to curb this disorder. The authorities must allocate designated spaces for protests and make prior permission mandatory for any kind of movement or demonstration. To control traffic congestion, alternative routes must be developed, and separate lanes should be created for emergency services. Government and non-government platforms must be established to listen to public demands. But forming these platforms is not enough, a structured process must be in place to regularly hear citizens' voices, and if the demands are legitimate and beneficial for the state, steps must be taken toward their implementation. Strict policies must be enforced to reduce noise pollution and protect the environment. To reduce fuel waste, the public transportation system must be strengthened. Awareness campaigns should be conducted to instill a culture of peaceful demand-raising within society. The ongoing protests and chaos on Dhaka’s streets are pushing the lives of its citizens, the economy, public administration, the environment, and social harmony toward disaster. Today, street protests are no longer just a tool for voicing demands; they have become a reflection of systemic mismanagement. If this culture of irregularity is not stopped, if unplanned state behavior continues, if the value of human life remains less important than occupying the streets, then the dream of a proud and promising Bangladesh will remain just a dream, never to be realized something completely unacceptable for a free, sovereign, and peaceful nation. One of the most critical aspects is that if a country’s capital cannot maintain the minimal flow of its production and supply chain, and if its roads are repeatedly and unnecessarily blocked, investment, economic growth, and international confidence will silently collapse. Therefore, the state must ensure good governance in every sector, road safety, alternative routes, and uninterrupted emergency services. It must designate protest areas and listen to protesters to establish a well-organized and humane urban system. This will reduce public suffering, restore economic momentum, enhance citizens’ confidence in the state, and foster trust among protesters as well. Through this, harmony and order will be established in the country, and the economy will progress with unstoppable force.
The writer is a student at department of Economics, Eden Mohila College
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