Dhaka wakes up to heavy rain, commuters face woes

Dhaka witnessed a spell of heavy rain coupled with thunderstorm early in the morning, offering respite from the heat but disrupting daily life.

The downpour which began around 6:45am, caused the most hardship for office-goers, students and low-income workers.

Many people, caught off guard without umbrellas, were drenched and took shelter in nearby shops and buildings. Even those carrying umbrellas could not avoid getting wet.

Commuters faced difficulties while heading to work and school due to a shortage of public transport, while rickshaw pullers and autorickshaw drivers were seen charging unusually high fares.

The Met office also forecast rain across the country in the 24 hours from 9am today.

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty or squally winds and lightning, are likely at many places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and at a few places over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, it said.

Moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected at places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, according to the forecast.