Families find fun spots in city for Eid day recreation
When everyone predicted today (11 April) would be marred by humidity and heat, it was quite the opposite. A breezy Dhaka makes for an opportune families' day out, that too on Eid.
So, where do people go around here?
To name a few places, the Bangladesh Air Force Museum in Agargaon, the Chandrima Udyan park area, Hatirjheel, are among the open-air, free spaces for kids to run around, families to chill and enjoy a cup of tea outside their living rooms.
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Eid is quite different in Dhaka compared to how we celebrate the occasion in our hometown, such was reflected by Abdul Mannan, an employee of a private company.
He used to celebrate Eid with his parents and neighbours at his village home in the past, but this year, he stayed in the city due to work. After finishing his duty hours, he took his wife and two kids to the Hatirjheel area to catch some fresh air.
He says, "I miss my mother, father and neighbours. My wife and kids being here with me makes the experience kind of nice.
"The vibes in Dhaka are completely different. Here, the Eid celebration is done entirely amongst ourselves. We can't really afford to have dinner at an expensive restaurant with the whole family. So our Eid basically means going back home and having a good meal after a little sightseeing."
Ayan, a third grader, went to the Bangladesh Air Force Museum with his family today.
"I came with my parents to board a plane. I will ride the plane, run in the field and eat ice cream. My friends will also join me and we'll have fun together. No studying today. We saved the whole day for fun and games."
After the Eid prayers, people across the capital stepped out wearing new clothes to enjoy the festivities.
Over the past few years, this time of year has been a heavy monsoon. But it wasn't quite the case today. But to their relief, people enjoyed a rather breezy evening amid cloudy weather with no wild rainfall or heat waves sweeping across the country.
A group of 10-12 friends were hanging out together in the Chandrima Udyan. Shipon Hossain said he and his friends took their bikes and went for a drive across the empty streets of Dhaka after Eid prayers. They were going to head over to their friend's place for a nice home-cooked Eid meal. "I do miss my relatives who are in my home district this Eid, but hanging out with my friends here was a whole other joy."
Not just sprawling in parks, people were seen taking the Hatirjheel water taxi rides, which are running on special arrangements, on Eid.
Passengers were being picked up from each ghat for 30 minutes and dropped there again in a package of Tk80 each.
Humaira Begum, who travelled in this package with her family, said, "What places can you visit in Dhaka? There are only a few where you can have a little stroll with your family. I went on the water taxi with my kids and they enjoyed it very much."
A water taxi ticket seller, Rakib Hossain, said they had opened at 9:30am and over 2,000 passengers bought tickets till 7:00pm, and the crowd, in his opinion, was much larger than last year.
While people had their fun any way they could, the Concorde Entertainment Group Executive Director Anup Kumar Sarker mentioned that in the Fantasy Kingdom, a theme park located in the capital's Ashulia, a huge crowd walked in since noon.
"This year the number of visitors is higher than last year. Fantasy Kingdom opened at noon and has seen an increase in visitors since then. But we expect the attendance to increase from tomorrow."
Anup, also the coordinator of the Bangladesh Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (BAAPA), said, "Our sector is a bit stagnant. People are interested in recreation even if their economic condition might not be that great. Seeing such a presence of people today, we are hopeful that this year's business during Eid will be better than last year."
He also said he still does not have updated information about how many people visited the Fantasy Kingdom. However, many people made advance bookings for tomorrow, he added.
