Thousands of residents started leaving the capital on Monday by trains, buses and launches to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones at their ancestral homes.
Backpackers were rushing towards the Kamalapur rail station, Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Gabtali bus stations and the launch terminal at Sadarghat.
Passengers said they were leaving the city to avoid the final-hour rush.
Visiting the Kamalapur rail station, the FE found a significant number of passengers were waiting to catch trains.
Although the Eid is still a week away, many are sending their families to their ancestral homes from Dhaka.
The station authorities confirmed that all preparations have been made to ensure a smooth Eid journey and trains are departing on time.
Similar to the previous year, the Bangladesh Railway (BR) sold advance Eid tickets online.
Some passengers who were travelling on Monday have purchased their tickets on March 14.
The BR sources said that Rajshahi-bound Dumketu Express departed the station at 6:00 am on the day.
A railway official said they have taken all preparations to ensure safety and security of the passengers.
Kamalapur railway station Master Anwar Hossain said Burimari Express left the station one and a half hour late, while Egarosindgu Express departed an hour late.
Passengers also expressed satisfaction over the management taken by BR authorities at Kamalapur station.
"We have taken all measures to ensure a safe and hassle free Eid journey for the passengers. We have set up control rooms of Bangladesh Railway Police and Railway Nirapatta Bahini," Sahadat Hossain, manager of Kamalapur station, told the FE.
Meanwhile, bus owners and workers called upon the government on Monday to stop toll collection and black marketing of bus tickets to ensure safe, hassle-free and pleasant Eid-ul-Fitr journey for the home-bound passengers.
They, under the banner of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association (Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity) and Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation (Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation), also urged the bus operators not to take extra fair from the passengers. They came up with the demands at a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital.
Senior vice-president of Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity M A Baten and its secretary general Saiful Alam, president of Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation Abdur Rahim Box Dudu and general secretary Humayun Kabir Khan were present, among others.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
