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A Human Tide At Kamalapur Railway Station
‘I’m voting for first time, it gives me immense joy’
Photo : Reaz Ahmed Sumon
With less than 24 hours remaining for the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the Referendum, a massive crowd has thronged Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station as people return to their hometowns to cast their votes.
People returning home have flocked to the railway station with the sole purpose of participating in the historic election, eager to exercise their long-deferred right to vote. That’s why, every platform, entrance, and ticket counter at the station was crowded with passengers on Wednesday morning.
Although tickets for coach seats sold out quickly, the passenger rush did not ease. Many trains were so full that there was no space to stand inside, and some risked climbing onto the roofs of trains to secure a seat.
Even though all tickets were available online, long queues were seen at counters, with hundreds of people leaving without tickets. Some managed to get standing tickets, while many could not.
The festive mood of the election holiday was evident on the platforms. People waited alone, with family, or chatting with friends, blending the excitement of travel with the anticipation of voting.
The Railway Security Force (RNB) has been deployed to ensure safety at the station. Passengers are screened via bag checks, ticket verification, and digital scanning before entering the platforms.
Joynal Abedin, a passenger on the Upakul Express (Dhaka to Brahmanbaria), said, “I am voting for the first time. It gives me immense joy. I’ve only observed voting before, but now I can participate myself, so I booked my ticket well in advance.”
Hasan Mullah, a passenger on the Rangpur Express, said, “After many years, I finally get the chance to vote. Voting feels like a festival. We have been deprived for so long, and now we want to vote for change and against corruption and mismanagement.”
Meanwhile, images circulating on social media groups linked to the railway show passengers sitting on train roofs on the Parabat Express to Sylhet as it passed Tongi in the morning. A similar scene was observed on the Chattogram-bound Metropolitan Probhat Express.
Regarding passenger congestion, Dhaka Railway Station Manager Sajedul Islam said, “Over the past three days, we have observed an unusually high passenger rush. The extended holiday for voting has caused the number of passengers to increase several times.”
He added, “The weekly closure of the Padma Express to Rajshahi was canceled yesterday and today to accommodate the rush. Today, 43 intercity express trains and 26 mail and local commuter trains are operating from Dhaka.”