If there is one thing all Dhaka dwellers can unreservedly agree on, it is that traffic jams in the capital have reached unbearable and unacceptable levels, with trips that should take 15 minutes regularly taking as much as an hour if one is lucky and much more if not. Poor traffic management, unwanted obstructions and unfinished constructions on roads, restricted traffic to allow passage for PM and ministers, and the sheer number of cars on Dhaka's roads, among other reasons, pose a debilitating problem for Dhaka's residents. But if traffic is agonising on an average day, on Thursday, with the first sign of monsoon, the city came to a near complete standstill, with rainwater inundating the roads. 

It is unacceptable that a capital city of a fast-growing nation should all but collapse with a few hours of rain due to water-logging. Experts believe that unplanned urbanisation is a major cause of this persisting problem. The natural drainage system in Dhaka, which comprises of several retention and detention areas including canals and floodplains, has been destroyed, grabbed or filled up with illegal dumping of waste. Real estate developers have been allowed to indiscriminately earth-fill these retention areas. Meanwhile, improper maintenance of existing drainage system has aggravated the situation.    

The respective authorities can no longer turn a blind eye towards the increasingly worsening situation of traffic jams. High-rise buildings must not be established without Traffic Impact Assessments, in violation of laws, and illegal obstructions and car parks must be removed to allow for smoother traffic flows. 

The new mayors, in coordination with other actors, must address the issue of water-logging on an urgent basis. In the long run, if we want an effective solution to this problem, we must restore the natural drainage system and make sustainable development a cornerstone of urban planning.