Eid return trips begin

FE REPORT
Holidaymakers started returning to the capital on Saturday amid rough weather after celebrating Eid-ul-Azha in their native homes.
On the other hand, many people were also seen leaving the capital for their village homes as they could not celebrate the festival there for relatively more important works here at the same time.
After visiting bus and launch terminals and railway station, the FE correspondent found that people were arriving at Sayedabad, Gabtoli and Mohakhali bus terminals and Kamalapur Railway Station in the city after celebrating the festival.
Filled with passengers at their full capacity, buses were seen arriving at Sayedabad bus terminal from Sylhet, Chatogram, Noakhali, Cumilla, Chandpur and Feni.
An employee of a Dhaka-Cumilla-Dhaka bus service told the FE that all buses of their company returned to the capital with passengers at their full capacity from Cumilla.
He said buses of different routes were getting enough passengers who were either arriving or leaving the capital on the day (Saturday).
Meanwhile, capitalising additional pressure of passengers a number of bus operators were allegedly realising extra fare from them.
A passenger preferring not to be named said he had to spend Tk500 as fare from Laxmipur to Sayedabab (Dhaka) instead of regular fare of Tk400.
"I had to spend Tk500 instead of Tk400 as bus fare from Laximpur to Dhaka (Sayedabad)," Jabbar Chowdhury, a passenger, told the FE at Sayedbad bus terminal in the afternoon.
Like the bus terminals, the Dhaka River Port Terminal at Sadarghat in the city also witnessed a huge flow of passengers from Barishal, Patuakhali, Bhola and Chandpur.
Kamalapur Railway Station also saw passengers arriving in droves.
"I've returned as I will have to join my office tomorrow (Sunday)," Iftekhar Ahmed, a private bank official, said at the station in the morning.
As there was no unusual pressure, passengers could get on buses easily to go to their destinations on the third day (Saturday) of Eid.
"During Eid I could not go to my village home due to preoccupation. Now I am going there to meet with the near and dear ones," Billal Hossain, a grocer, told the FE at Khilgaon kitchen market while going to his village home in Chandpur sadar upazila on the day.
After their return, holidaymakers had to undergo immense suffering due to torrential rain in the city.
Many had to face a lot of trouble while taking rickshaws and auto-rickshaws to reach their destinations.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com