Journey home: Eid travellers flocking out of Dhaka
Holidaymakers taking trains were enjoying a comfortable journey this year, as trains have been departing on schedule for the past two days. A visit to Kamalapur Rail Station showed no overcrowding, unlike previous years, allowing passengers to board trains comfortably.
Dhaka's bus terminals bustled with travellers today (14 June), the last Friday before Eid, heading home for the holidays, undeterred by cloudy skies throughout the morning.
"Since this morning, nine buses have departed on time, all fully seated," said Md Anwar Hossain, the counter master of Shahjadpur Travel, which operates buses to northern districts.
The bad weather had not caused any issues, he said. "All seats are booked for today and tomorrow, with only a few available on the 16th."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
He noted a bit of congestion on the highway along the route. "But it's manageable. So far, all buses have reached their destinations on time and returned to Dhaka promptly."
Tapan Kumar Sheel, the counter master at Shyamoli Paribahan, said that by 11am, 20-25 of their buses had departed for various destinations across the country, all fully booked.
"The passenger rush began primarily on Thursday [13 June] afternoon and is expected to continue today and tomorrow. We have only a few tickets left for the 16th," he mentioned.
Tapan also noted that the increased number of vehicles has led to some congestion on the highway. "Travel times are extended by about an hour or two, which is typical during Eid."
Hasibul Islam, a driver of Hanif Paribahan on the northern routes, said there have been no problems on the highway so far.
However, he expressed concern that rain could potentially cause problems, necessitating slower driving speeds. "Water pooling in certain areas of the road might also impede traffic flow during rainfall."
Buses on time
Tipu Sultan, a passenger heading to Pabna, said he was worried if the buses would depart on time because of the gloomy weather.
"Now, I find buses are leaving the station right on schedule. This doesn't always happen, especially during the Eid rush."
However, many passengers faced difficulties as they hadn't purchased tickets in advance. There was a long queue of passengers at the Mohakhali bus terminal because most of the bus counters were out of tickets.
Those who hadn't purchased advance tickets were seen rushing to secure tickets whenever a bus was ready for boarding. However, the rush was momentary, as buses were departing every ten minutes from Gulistan and Sayedabad to the southern districts.
"We have buses scheduled to depart every hour, but we are leaving as soon as we reach capacity," explained Tofazzal, the counter master of Palki Paribahan.
Abir, the counter master at Emad Paribahan, said there are so many passengers that they are not looking at the time anymore. "As soon as a bus fills up, it departs."
"Buses are now available every 10 minutes from here. No passengers are waiting anymore; they board whatever is available," he added.
Trains without delay
Holidaymakers taking trains were enjoying a comfortable journey this year, as trains have been departing on schedule for the past two days. A visit to Kamalapur Rail Station showed no overcrowding, unlike previous years, allowing passengers to board trains comfortably.
Dhaka Railway Station Manager Mohammad Masud Sarwar said every train has been left on schedule since this morning.
"Due to this, the passengers are also happy and very relieved," he added.
Despite some disruptions to train schedules in the preceding days, almost all trains ran punctually on 13 and 14 June. Similar to previous years, strict measures have been implemented to ensure only ticketed passengers access the platform area at Kamalapur station.
Reflecting on the improved situation, passenger Humaira Akhter remarked, "Previously, we had to struggle to enter the platform and then again to find our seats on the train, especially difficult with children and luggage."
This time, however, boarding the train was hassle-free, and it departed punctually, said Humaira.
Slow moving traffic
Since Friday morning, there has been increased traffic on various highways across the country and resulting in slowdowns.
Garment workers staged a protest on the highway in the Chandina section of Cumilla, demanding salary and bonuses. The protest lasted for about two hours and caused a traffic jam stretching approximately 10km.
As the day progressed, traffic on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway was observed slow-moving from Daudkandi in Cumilla to Padua Bazar.
Earlier in the day, a significant traffic jam occurred on the 29km regional road from Bangabandhu Bridge to Bhoonapur in Tangail. The situation was resolved after about three hours, thanks to the vigilance of the highway police.
The higher-than-usual volume of vehicles has also led to longer waiting times at the Padma Bridge toll plaza, slowing down traffic movement in that area.
Inspector ASM Ziaul Haider of Mawa Traffic Police said the increased vehicle pressure had resulted in an 8km queue at the toll plaza of Padma Bridge.
Pressure at launch terminals
The Sadarghat launch terminal experienced significant crowding from early morning on Friday. Cabins on launches bound for Chandpur, Shariatpur, Barishal, and Bhola routes were fully occupied, with decks also packed with passengers.
Alamgir Kabir, joint director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, said there had been sustained passenger demand for launches since Thursday night.
"Throughout Friday, 61 launches departed from various southern routes, all carrying full passenger loads," he added.
Furthermore, there are currently 60 launches scheduled to depart later on Friday evening, with no empty cabins available. The decks are also nearly at capacity, he added.
