Dhaka’s major bus terminals and railway stations have become bustling hubs as residents have started returning to the capital from different parts of the country following the Eid-ul-Azha holiday.  

Gabtoli, Jatrabari, and Saidabad bus terminals witnessed a steady influx of passenger vehicles arriving from various parts of the country. Crowds of inbound passengers were also witnessed in railway stations in the city, especially Kamalapur and Airport stations.

The rush of returning residents marks the end of the festive break, with many preparing to resume their regular routines.

Attendance in offices, however, was low on Wednesday, the first working day after the Eid holiday. Many have taken an extra two days off, which is why officials said there will be a holiday mood in offices on Thursday as well.

Many people have taken an additional two days off along with the Eid holiday. Therefore, officials have stated that the holiday atmosphere will continue in offices today, Thursday, as well.

There was a government holiday for Eid from 16-18 June. Before that, there were the regular weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15, giving government employees a continuous five-day holiday. Many people have taken an extra two days off on 19 and 20 June along with the three-day Eid holiday.

Meanwhile, since yesterday, Wednesday, government offices have been operating from 9am to 5pm.

A visit to various departments of the Secretariat on Wednesday showed that attendance was quite low as not everyone had returned to work. Many people exchanged Eid greetings with their colleagues on the first working day at the office. There was no traffic congestion inside the Secretariat, and there were no crowds of visitors either.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture said, “Many people have taken leave on Wednesday and Thursday along with the three-day Eid holiday. Therefore, we expect the offices to be fully operational from next Sunday.”

A visit to Gabtoli, Jatrabari, and Saidabad bus terminals showed that passenger vehicles were arriving every few minutes from various parts of the country.

Shariful Alam, who arrived at Gabtoli from Rajshahi by bus on Wednesday morning, told the Daily Sun that he returned to Dhaka with his family on a night bus because he had work on Wednesday.

Private employee Atik Mohammad Shamim Sharif, who arrived at Kalyanpur in Dhaka from Bogura by bus with his wife and child on Wednesday morning, faced some trouble reaching his home in Banasree after arriving in Dhaka.

Atik said, “I couldn’t get a car on Uber. Later, I had to pay Tk500 for a CNG ride that usually costs Tk300 to reach home. There were very few vehicles on Dhaka’s roads.”

Although government and private offices reopened on Wednesday after the Eid holiday, Dhaka’s roads were quite empty. The number of public transport vehicles on the roads was also quite low.