As the industrial factories had their last working day on Monday, the rush of homebound people leaving Dhaka and adjacent districts to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr became pronounced since the afternoon of the day.

While no significant traffic congestion was reported on any of the country’s major highways as of Monday morning, a 7-kilometre tailback was created along the Chandra intersection on Dhaka-Tangail highway after midday.

People were seen leaving the capital in groups to share the joy of Eid with their families and loved ones.
During a visit to the Aminbazar Bridge area, this correspondent noticed an increased number of passenger buses, motorcycles, and private vehicles heading towards North Bengal.

Many passengers were seen travelling by trucks and pickup vans to reach their destinations.

While talking to this correspondent, one such passenger, Md. Jewel Rana, a construction worker in Dhaka, said, “It takes a lot of money to go to Chapainawabganj by bus from Dhaka, which labourers like us cannot afford. Hence, we are going home by truck.”

Passenger pressure increases at Kamalapur Railway Station

The number of homebound passengers increased at the Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital increased since early morning on Monday.
Passengers at the Kamalapur railway station said there were no major delays in boarding of trains as of Monday morning.  
According to railway sources, a few trains left 20-30 minutes late. The passengers did not have to suffer much.

Kamalapur Railway Station Manager Md Masud Sarwar told the Daily Sun, “Some trains from the northern region arrived late. As a result, the departure from Kamalapur also got delayed. But it cannot be termed a schedule disruption.”

“Passenger pressure increased today (Monday) as compared to last few days. However, under no circumstances will passengers be allowed to climb on the roof of the train,” he added.
Meanwhile, RAB Headquarters Legal and Media Wing Director Commander Khandaker Al Moin said, “If we find even a broker creating problems for railway passengers, strict legal action will be taken against him.”
Sadarghat Launch Terminal witnesses increased crowd of homebound people
Sadarghat Launch Terminal witnessed an increased crowd of homebound passengers on Monday. The passengers complained that the launches were not leaving on time, even after getting filled with passengers.

Mahbub Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram), president of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport (passenger carrier) Association told the Daily Sun, “After the opening of Padma Bridge, the number of passengers on waterways reduced by 70%. Even if there are passengers during Eid, the launch owners are incurring loss. If this situation continues, launch owners will have to stop operations in future.”

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury told the Daily Sun, “This time people have got enough time to return home before Eid which is why the Eid journey in bus, train and launch has been a bit more comfortable than other times. However, it is to be seen how efficiently the authorities handle the pressure of passengers today and tomorrow.”

“Even though the Eid journey has been comfortable so far, extra fare is being charged in long-distance buses. At the same time passengers are boarding the train without tickets. Besides, there is a risk of delay in launch. If the authorities can fix these problems, the Eid journey this time around would be way better and trouble free,” he added.