FE REPORT
Amusement spots in the city and its surrounding areas saw an enormous influx of holiday-makers even on the third day of Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday, as people were looking for a respite from their monotonous routines.
Pleasant weather over the last couple of days, marked by cloudy skies, sporadic showers, and moderate temperatures, has been a boon for them.
Families and friends, accompanied by their little ones, flocked to a variety of indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, such as Dhanmondi Lake, Hatirjheel, Ramna Park, Lalbagh Fort, DNCC Wonderland in Shyamoli, and the National Zoo in Mirpur.
Ahmedul Kabir, who works for a state-owned bank, travelled from the Jatrabari area of the city to Ramna Park with his two kids.
"It still feels like a holiday everywhere in the city, so I didn't want to miss the opportunity to spend some
quality family time," he said.
Kabir said the significantly lower number of vehicles on the road and cooler temperatures encouraged anyone to leave their homes. It took him only 25 minutes to reach Ramna Park from his residence, which usually takes an hour and a half due to traffic jams.
"The cooler temperature has been really convenient for hanging out with kids. It's like a special Eid gift for the city offered by nature," he added.
The temperature on the day was recorded as a high of 34 degrees Celsius and a low of 25 degrees Celsius, which was lower than the temperature of over 40 degrees Celsius for the week before Eid.
Kids, still dressed in their new clothes, were seen walking along the streets under the trees and by the lake. There was hardly any space to enter the kids' zone, which offered a number of free rides for toddlers. Visitors were seen taking photographs and selfies with their smartphones.
Similar to the lush green Ramna Park, open areas such as the Dhaka University (DU) campus and Suhrawardy Udyan also drew a large number of people.
"We made a schedule before Eid to organise a get-together with some of our university friends at DU on Monday afternoon," said Noor Mohammad, a DU alumnus and government official.
Meanwhile, many opted for indoor entertainment such as theme parks, chatting with friends at eateries, and going to the cinema.
During a visit to Bashundhara City Shopping Mall, which hosts a wide range of amusement facilities on its top floors in the afternoon, this correspondent found a long queue of visitors waiting to board the lifts.
Although not a leisure spot, the Dhaka Metro Rail also drew a huge crowd on all three days since Eid day as people took the electric train to have a new experience.
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