Home-goers enjoying smooth Eid journey

Eid holiday-makers were able to make rather hassle-free journey on highways across the country on Sunday. But, the situation was almost reverse in case of railway passengers due to schedule breakdown of some intercity trains.
On the other hand, the Sadarghat Launch Terminal was flooded with home-goers, who thronged passenger vessels to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones.
The schedule disorder caused immense sufferings to the passengers, who were seen waiting for long at the Kamalapur Railway Station (KRS) to avail their respective trains.
Severe breakdown in schedule was reported for many intercity trains, like - Khulna-bound Sundarban Express, Dinajpur-bound Dhumketu Express, Rajshahi-bound Rajshahi Express, and Nilphamari-bound Nilsagor Express.
Shamim Ahmed, a passenger who works in a government organisation, said he will travel to Rajshahi by Rajshahi Express.
"The train was supposed to depart the capital at 12:30 pm. Now it is 2:00 pm, but the train has not come yet," he said with a note of frustration.
The train finally came and left Dhaka at 3:00 pm.
When contacted, KRS manager Md. Aminul Islam said Sundarban Express made almost two hours delay in reaching the station, while Nilsagor Express made more than four hours delay.
He also said the trains that cross the Bangabandhu Bridge are mainly struggling to maintain their schedule.
"These trains usually face more crossings than other trains, and it is one of the main reasons behind the schedule disorder," he added.
Liberation War Affairs Minister A K M Mozammel Haque MP visited KRS on the day.
Talking to the reporters, Mr Haque said it is not possible to bring all the trains under strict schedule during the Eid festival.
"We don't have alternative coaches and engines to provide backup. Only a few trains, out of total 55, failed to maintain schedule. So, it should not be called a disaster," he added.
However, the situation on the national highways was much better than the previous years, as no major incident of hassle was reported on the day.
According to the Highway Police, buses carrying holiday-makers were plying without any disruption on the highways like Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Tangail, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Khulna.
Meanwhile, vessels, full of passengers, were seen departing Sadarghat for various destinations of the country's southern region. Ignoring inclement weather, many of the launches were carrying passengers on the rooftop without caring for their safety.
Dinesh Kumar Saha, an inspector of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said they witnessed rush of passengers on the day, and the vessels departed the city on time.
Talking about the rooftop journey, he said the number of launches is not enough to cope with the growing rush of people during the Eid festival.
"We're trying our best to ensure compliance in river transportation," he added.

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