For Roksana Begum, Friday morning began like any other market day. She called her regular grocery shop at Raisahib Bazar and placed her monthly order over the phone.
But for Asad, a day labourer carrying a basket of groceries and a sack of rice, reaching her doorstep became a struggle.
The heavy rain since dawn had turned Johnson Road in Old Dhaka into a stretch of knee-deep water. Carefully avoiding potholes and broken sections of the road, Asad waded through dirty water to complete the delivery.
His ordeal reflected the wider misery that gripped Dhaka on Friday as hours of heavy rain once again exposed the capital’s long-standing waterlogging crisis.
A depression over the sea and an active monsoon brought intense rainfall across the country, leaving roads, lanes and neighbourhoods submerged in many parts of the capital.
From Old Dhaka to Mirpur, Farmgate to Motijheel, and Moghbazar to Jatrabari, residents found themselves battling flooded streets, slow traffic and disrupted daily routines.
Although it was a public holiday, many people were forced to venture out for essential work. With umbrellas, raincoats and makeshift covers, commuters struggled through waterlogged roads as rainfall made movement difficult.
Major roads and residential lanes in areas including Mirpur, Malibagh, Karwan Bazar, Bashundhara, Gulistan, Paltan, Green Road, Jigatola, New Market, Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, Sutrapur, Gandaria, Bangshal and Siddikbazar were flooded within hours of the downpour.
In several areas, knee-deep water brought traffic to a crawl. Public transport became scarce, while passengers waited for long periods at bus stops or took shelter under shop fronts and building entrances.
With fewer buses operating on the holiday, many commuters were forced to depend on CNG-run autorickshaws and rickshaws, often paying higher fares.
Khadijatul Afrin, travelling from Old Dhaka to Badda, said she had to hire a CNG-run autorickshaw because of the rain but still reached her destination soaked.
Kamrul Islam, who travelled from Jigatola to Tejgaon, said water had risen to the footboard of his rickshaw.
“I had to endure dirty water splashing onto me before reaching my destination,” he said.
Mirpur’s familiar struggle
Residents of Kazipara, Shewrapara and Mirpur-10 faced similar hardship as roads disappeared under rainwater within hours.
Water accumulated under Kazipara Metro Rail Station and along the road from Shewrapara to Mirpur-10 roundabout, slowing vehicles and causing long queues.
Locals blamed poor drainage and inadequate maintenance for turning even moderate rainfall into a recurring crisis.
Kazipara resident Rahidul Islam said waterlogging had become a yearly problem.
“Even a little rain during the monsoon makes it impossible to walk through our lane. The water often remains for several days,” he said.
The crisis also hit small businesses. Maruf, a vegetable seller in Shewrapara, said rainwater frequently entered his shop, damaging goods and driving away customers.
“Sometimes the water comes inside the shop. Vegetables get spoiled and we suffer losses. But there is no one to address the problem,” he said.
Businesses and livelihoods suffer
In Old Dhaka’s Raisahib Bazar, grocery trader Siddique Mia said rainwater entering his shop was affecting both business and stored goods.
“Business is already struggling, and now water is entering the shop. How can we continue like this?” he said.
The impact was particularly severe for people dependent on daily income. Many day labourers, hawkers and rickshaw pullers either failed to go to work or earned significantly less because of fewer passengers and traffic disruptions.
Residents blamed recurring waterlogging on inadequate drainage, encroachment of canals and drains, and poor maintenance.
They said despite repeated suffering every monsoon, a permanent solution remained out of sight.
More rain ahead
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said rainfall was likely to continue as the active monsoon remained in effect.
In a heavy rainfall warning issued on Friday, the department said rain or thundershowers could continue across most parts of the country over the next 24 hours.
Some areas may experience moderately heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, it said.
Dhaka and other parts of the country are likely to see continued rain at least until Saturday, according to the forecast.
