Dhaka, March 4 -- Asr prayer marks the beginning of an overwhelming surge in vehicular movement across Dhaka's streets, with offices closing one after another from 4 pm onwards, taking traffic congestion to an unbearable level just before iftar.

A visit to several key roads in the capital on Tuesday revealed that while traffic remained relatively light until 2 pm, the volume begins to rise as the afternoon progresses.

As a result, major intersections, streets and even narrow alleyways become choked with vehicles, leading to prolonged gridlocks.

Regarding the pre-iftar traffic scenario, Abdus Salam, a traffic police officer stationed at Shantinagar, said, "From Asr prayer until right before Maghrib, the streets witness extreme congestio...