Platforms teeming with passengers at Kamalapur Rail Station in Dhaka as thousands head for their ancestral villages, eagerly awaiting their trains on Friday, to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with loved ones in rural districts. — FE Photo by Asad-Uz-Zaman The stations and terminals in Dhaka witnessed huge crowds on Friday as holidaymakers in their thousands travel to different destinations countrywide to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with families back home.
Dhaka's exit points and several highway spots saw tailbacks with hundreds of thousands of people opting to travel on the first public holiday ahead of the second-biggest Islamic festival.
Sources said most of the trains from Kamalapur railway station left on schedule, much to the relief of vacationers.
On the other hand, people on the roads had to undergo congestion of traffic at some spots in addition to delayed schedules and extra fares charged by transporters.
Key transport hubs, including Gabtoli, Technical, Sayedabad, Mohakhali, Kamalapur and Sadarghat, started becoming chock-a-block with homeward people since early hours of Friday.
A representative of Nabil Paribahan bus counter at Gabtoli said traffic snarls formed from Kalyanpur to Aminbazar Bridge because of the cattle market here.
"Transport operators are witnessing schedule disruptions mainly due to tailbacks at some spots on highways," he added.
The national road network has improved considerably, but some intersections are not wide enough to handle the pressure of too many vehicles at a time, according to the Nabil representative.
In consequence, passengers were bound to wait for a long period. Yet, they were ready to acknowledge the inordinate delays only to have the pleasure of meeting their dear ones.
Rangpur-bound traveller Mujahidul Islam booked a bus ticket earlier for a hassle-free journey. However, his bus missed schedule by more than two hours.
"I didn't expect it, but I had no alternative but to wait," he said, adding: "All fatigue will fade away when I'll reach home and embrace my family members."
However, passengers alleged that some bus operators were asking for additional charges, exploiting the situation.
But operators said the buses were returning to the capital city with limited passengers than capacity leading to difficulties for their operational expenses. "We had to ask extra bucks to meet the gap," argued the transporters.
Many low-income people, who could not afford exorbitant costs, were seen on board pickups, trucks and even on livestock carriers.
Besides, many people left Dhaka by private and rented cars to reach their respective destinations.
According to sources, gridlock was seen at several spots, including Padma Bridge toll plaza, Gazipur and Tangail highway. Sadarghat launch terminal also witnessed huge crowds of home-bound people.
Sources said more than 50 water vessels left Dhaka towards different destinations in the country's southern part in an hour from 5:00 pm to 6.00 pm.
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