In the interest of safe Eid journeys

Eid is one of the biggest festivals in Bangladesh. It is also the time when the largest internal mass movement of people takes place in the country. During Eid festivals, everyone wants to spend time with their near and dear ones and so they travel to different districts, a journey that often turns deadly because of accidents. Every year, lives ---at times scores and even hundreds --- are lost to road and river accidents during Eid as vehicles and vessels take passengers in excess and hike fares out of greed. The use of unfit vehicles and vessels - including freight transport - to carry passengers along with a lack of safety and emergency materials as well as fatigued drivers and transport workers can largely be blamed for such disasters.

According to a report by the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh, in 2021 during the Eid-ul-Fitr, a total of 323 people died and another 622 were injured on their way home. This year's toll could be even higher as the number of passengers may double since the Covid-19 restrictions eased after a two-year break. We do not want any family to bear the loss of a loved one this year. So, we urge the homebound people to avoid travelling on the roofs of trains, buses, and launches. People including students and others who will be free from 20th Ramadan should start leaving the capital before the holidays begin.

Afroza Sheikh,

Dania, Dhaka,

ilcbd2008@gmail.com