Eid is a festival of joy, a time when people eagerly long to reunite with their loved ones. However, for millions of people in Bangladesh, Eid travel is no longer a pleasant experience; rather, it has become a harsh reality filled with suffering, anxiety and unbearable hardship. Every year, as Eid approaches, the country's transportation system slips into severe disorder and ordinary passengers become the greatest victims of this chaos.
A few days before Eid, problems such as excessive fares and ticket shortages take a turn the worse. Dishonest transport owners and ticket brokers take advantage of people's helplessness by selling tickets at several times the normal price. Even after standing in long queues for hours, many passengers fail to get tickets, while brokers continue to sell them illegally at inflated prices. As a result, poor and middle-class travellers are forced to pay extra money just to return home and celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones.
The most alarming scenes of Eid travel can be witnessed on roads and at transport terminals. Overcrowding, endless traffic congestion, suffocating conditions and widespread disorder make the journey extremely painful. Mothers carrying children, elderly people, women and sick passengers suffer the most. Many travellers are forced to stand for hours, hang from bus doors or even travel on bus rooftops, risking their lives in an inhumane and dangerous manner. Railway passengers also endure severe hardships, with many travelling in overcrowded compartments or sitting on train roofs at serious safety risks.
The most tragic aspect of Eid travel is the sharp rise in road accidents during this period. Overloaded vehicles, reckless driving, exhausted drivers and unfit transports cause countless deadly accidents every year. Within minutes, the joy of Eid turns into lifelong sorrow for many families. Numerous people lose their lives simply because they could not travel home safely.
Eid is meant to be a celebration of happiness and togetherness. Yet the suffering, exploitation and insecurity surrounding Eid travel present a deeply painful and shameful reality. Therefore, it is essential for the authorities to take strict administrative measures, control excessive fares, eliminate ticket black markets, ban unfit vehicles and ensure a safe, organised and passenger-friendly transportation system for all.
Ibrahim Ibney Aziz
Department of Sociology
University of Dhaka
