Homebound people start leaving city ahead of Eid

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FE Report
City dwellers started to leave the city through launch, bus and trains to celebrate the Eid-ul-Azha Tuesday next.
While visiting Sayedabad bus stand, Sadarghat launch terminal and Kamalapur rail station Saturday, it was found that thousands of home bound passengers were leaving the city from early morning.
Sources at the BIWTA office at the Sadarghat Launch Terminal said the home bound passengers started to leave for different coastal districts since the start of this month and it intensified Saturday.
They said around 100 passenger carrying vessels might leave Dhaka for different coastal districts from Saturday and it will continue until Eid day.
"The rush will intensify Sunday and Monday it will continue until Eid day," said an official at the BIWTA office at the terminal.
But, the tickets for cabin, the price of which is up at least by four times from the deck tickets have been sold in advance much earlier at exorbitant fares, alleged a number of passengers.
Shabuddin Milan, vice president of Bangladesh Launch Owners Association said tickets for cabin had been sold in advance: "All passengers are leaving peacefully, no black tickets and hazardous situation this year as the government has employed adequate law enforcing personnel to check ticket scalping and maintain peaceful atmosphere at the terminal."
More than 3.0 million is expected to leave the city during the Eid vacation, of them, around 1.2 million leave through launches while the buses and trains will carry the others.
Bus operators said home bound passengers started to leave the city since Thursday and it has intensified from Saturday.
Officials at the Star Line, a bus service between Dhaka and greater Noakhalia said they have been selling advance tickets since December 1.
"We sell advance tickets a day before the journey. We had along queue from early morning and sold out all tickets scheduled for today (Sunday)
However, passengers alleged that the ticket scalpers have created an artificial crisis by buying most of the advance tickets. They are now selling them at exorbitant prices.