"I face this hazard during rush hours everyday and very often get drenched trying to board the bus or hire a CNG auto-rickshaw as there is no shelter to protect myself from the heavy rains," she said.

"If Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) had built passenger sheds on the road divider at Farmgate, it would have been convenient for pedestrians during the rainy season," she added.

On June 14, Shanta, a student of Higher Secondary Certificate was waiting for a bus at the Mohakhali bus stop to go to the examinations centre in Motijheel.

It was raining heavily and she could not find any shelter to protect herself from the rain. She too was drenched and wondered if she would be able to reach the centre in time.

Like Rehana and Shanta, many commuters face a tough time during the rains, especially in monsoon, as there are no shelters from the rain and they have no choice but to stand under the open sky at bus stops and other crowded places.

Lack of ticket counters and passenger sheds are adding to their misery.

"For the last two months we stood in the blazing sun and now we have to get wet in the rain because there are no sheds," said Hanan, a regular bus passenger from Banani.

DCC officials say they have plans to construct 130 new passengers' sheds by the end of June.

When informed about DCC's decision to build 130 new passenger sheds, Mizanur Rahman, a retired government officer, said: "We have heard about such plans before too. We need action."

"This rainy season would also go by, but nothing will happen," said Mizanur adding that the authorities have their own vehicles and they would not understand the people's sufferings during the rains.

There are only 220 sheds along the 3,000 kilometre stretch of city roads, but it requires at least 1,000 to protect commuters from rain or shine, said Aminul Islam, convener of Manusher Janya Rasta, a non-governmental organisation.

He said the shed crisis is acute in busy areas like Motijheel, Purana Paltan, Gulistan, Phulbaria, Mohakhali, Banani, Malibagh, Mouchak, Rampura, Gulshan, Mirpur, Shahbagh and Maghbazar.

"The existing sheds also have little or no use to the commuters as they have been constructed in an unplanned manner, and are mostly occupied by shopkeepers, hawkers and floating sex workers," he added.

Commuters in different parts of the city echoed Aminul's views.

"Sheds must be constructed at bus stands, railway stations and in front of educational institutions," Aminul further said.

Lack of coordination between DCC authorities, communications ministry and the bus owners' associations has created sufferings of commuters and caused delay in constructing passenger sheds, sources said.

However, a high official of DCC's estate department denied the allegation and said that they had asked for opinions of concerned experts -- the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) and DCC's traffic engineering division -- to establish passengers sheds, but did not receive any response.

When contacted, DTCB and DCC's traffic engineering division officials said that they sent their recommendation to the estate department.

Asked, about the present situation, Abu Taleb, chief estate officer said: "We signed an agreement recently with the Standard Chartered Bank, Basundhara Group, Mukti Art and ASL Media allowing them to construct sheds with shops."

"I think the proposed number of new passengers sheds will reduce the sufferings of city commuters," added Taleb.