Early Eid rush begins as Dhaka residents head home

A massive homebound rush has begun in the capital as people start leaving Dhaka ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
The rush started earlier than usual this year as universities across the country were closed from 10 March onwards following a government directive, prompting a large number of students to leave the capital well before the Eid vacation officially began on 17 March.
The impact is already visible in different areas of the capital, especially around public and private universities, as Dhaka gradually began to empty.
During visits to major transport hubs across the city on Saturday, the Daily Sun found heavy crowds at bus terminals, railway stations and launch terminals as travellers headed to their hometowns to celebrate the festival with family members.
Many people said they preferred to travel early to avoid the heavy traffic congestion usually seen a few days before Eid.
Holidaymakers were seen gathering at bus counters in major terminals, including Gabtoli, Kalyanpur, Mohakhali and Badda.
At Mohakhali Bus Terminal, a group of enthusiastic university students were seen preparing to travel to Tangail.
Talking to the Daily Sun, Taisurul Islam, one of the students, said they had been living together in Dhaka like a family for many days.
“From the beginning of Ramadan, we were eager to go home. Our university declared holidays four days ago, but we spent some time shopping and hanging out in the city. Today we are finally heading home together, and it feels great,” he said.
A similar scenario was observed at Airport Railway Station Dhaka, where many passengers were travelling to Rajshahi. 
Khademul Islam, a student of National University Bangladesh, said he had managed to secure a ticket for the Bonolota Express after considerable effort.
“I lost my mother nearly a year ago. Now only my father is at home. I have been longing to see him. I bought him a Punjabi as a gift and will give it to him as soon as I reach home,” he said.
The crowd was even larger at Kamalapur Railway Station, where many passengers were seen waiting for long hours, with some even falling ill due to exhaustion.
Rimi Akter, who was travelling to Gopalganj with her two children, said she chose train travel despite the long wait.
“Waiting is difficult, but travelling by train is more comfortable than other transport. I’m going to our village home early with my children, while my husband will join us a few days before Eid,” she said.
Officials of Bangladesh Railway said additional law enforcement personnel had been deployed at railway stations to ensure passenger safety.
An official at Kamalapur Railway Station said passengers were being allowed to enter the platforms only after three-tier security checks.
Meanwhile, the situation at Sadarghat Launch Terminal was also crowded with passengers heading to southern districts.
Seba Khan, a Barishal-bound passenger, said while she was happy to travel home, she was also slightly concerned about safety following a recent rape incident on a launch.
“We hope the authorities remain vigilant to ensure passenger safety,” she said.
A police officer at the terminal told the Daily Sun that law enforcement agencies were on high alert to ensure maximum security for travellers.
Another passenger, Tamim Hasan, said the overall situation appeared manageable so far.
“We just hope transport operators will not increase fares before Eid,” he said.
An official of the Bangladesh Launch Owners Association told the Daily Sun that fares would remain unchanged during the Eid rush and passengers were being charged according to the government-approved rate chart.
However, transport operators said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East had created an unusual situation at petrol pumps in recent days.
Due to limited fuel supply and government restrictions on daily fuel distribution per vehicle, many transport operators had reduced the number of trips.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Friday issued several traffic guidelines to ensure smooth travel during the Eid holidays.
According to the directives, the movement of trucks, covered vans and lorries will remain banned on highways from 17 to 23 March.
However, vehicles carrying essential commodities, perishable goods, garments, medicines, fertilisers and fuel will remain exempt from the restriction.

The reporter can be reached at [email protected]