Puran Dhaka was never built for cars. Its streets were meant for footsteps, rickshaws and the slow rhythm of old life. Time changed, but the roads didn’t.
Today, the narrow lanes of Puran Dhaka are more like mazes. Cars squeeze through alleys barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. When one vehicle enters, everything else must wait.
Recent developments of earthquakes have added a new layer of fear. Many of the old, unreinforced buildings in Puran Dhaka stand wall-to-wall, leaving no space for collapse buffers or evacuation routes. If a moderate quake hits, experts warn that rescue teams may not even be able to enter the lanes. Residents are in constant anxiety that a single shake could end up trapping entire neighbourhoods. The recent tremors felt in the city have only heightened that worry.
Here, deliveries get stuck halfway. Ambulances can’t reach homes in emergencies. “If someone falls sick at night, we pray the ambulance can make it,” said Mahi, a resident of Lalbagh. “Sometimes it can’t. And on rainy days, it’s an extra hassle. The narrow streets flood quickly. With no space for drainage, the water stays for hours. I always get late when going to the office in the morning.”
The roads, lined with century-old buildings, leave no room for expansion. Yet, new apartments and shops keep rising, adding more people and more pressure.
Fire safety is another nightmare. Fire trucks cannot enter many lanes. When a blaze breaks out, firefighters must run hoses from the main road. By then, much is already lost. Garbage collection, too, is a struggle. Trucks can’t enter, so residents pile waste at corners, creating foul smells and clogged drains.
Despite the hardship, many refuse to leave. Puran Dhaka’s people are deeply attached to their community, its history, food and spirit.
Urban experts say the problem needs smart management, not just demolition. They suggest restricting car entry, improving public transport and introducing community-based waste systems. But change in Puran Dhaka moves as slowly as its traffic.
For now, life goes on in tight turns and endless jams. The roads stay narrow; the air stays heavy. Still, the residents of Puran Dhaka dream where emergency vehicles can reach homes without delay, and where history and modernity can coexist. For them, the lanes are more than passages. They are a lifeline, a memory and a daily challenge.
