Rush of people heading home begins
Thursday, 11 October 2007
FE Report
City people have started heading home by all modes of transportation to celebrate the biggest Muslim festival -- Eid-ul-Fitr.
All the bus terminals, launch terminal and train stations were crowded Wednesday with the home-bound passengers.
But the rush of passengers is expected to build up later today (Thursday) after the last working day.
Sources said around 2.8 million city people are likely leave the capital to celebrate the Eid at their village homes this year.
The Eid will be celebrated either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the sighting of the Shawal moon.
Sources at the bus terminals said a large number of women and children had already left the city to avoid the late rush.
Witnesses said the situation was largely peaceful this time as home-bound passengers left by buses for different destinations.
But a large number of passengers failing to collect tickets in advance were seen hiring trucks or micro-buses to reach their homes to celebrate the Eid with their near and dear ones.
Officials at the bus, train and launch ticket counters said that all tickets had been sold in advance.
Abu Sayeed Ahmed, station manager of Kamlapur Railway Station, told the FE that they had sold all tickets in advance.
A total of 46108 train tickets had been sold in advance for the period between October 9 and October 13.
Railway sources also said that a special train named Jamalpur Express having 12 coaches had been commissioned October 9 on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
"We have introduced the special train service in the Dhaka-Jamalpur route and it will felicitate train journey by a large number of poor people this year," said Abu Sayeed Ahmed.
Each day a total of 22 inter-city trains are running to and from Dhaka on the occasion of the Eid, railway sources said.
Tickets of luxury coach services were also sold in advance.
Sources at the Green Line, Silk Line, Shohagh and Neptune bus services, which ply between the major cities, tickets had been sold at least 10 days back.
Sources at the Sadarghat Launch terminal said that tickets for cabins and first classes had been sold in advance.
According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), around 120-130 passenger vessels will operate on the occasion of the Eid.
Around 1.0 million home-bound passengers leave the city through the waterways, said Motaher Hossain, director port and traffic of the BIWTA.
Sources at the Sayadabad bus stations told the FE that all the buses were full of passengers and they were not taking extra passengers as the law enforcing agency were monitoring the situation very closely. The personnel of the law enforcing agencies, including those of the RAB and police, have been deployed at the bus, rail and launch stations, to maintain law and order.
City people have started heading home by all modes of transportation to celebrate the biggest Muslim festival -- Eid-ul-Fitr.
All the bus terminals, launch terminal and train stations were crowded Wednesday with the home-bound passengers.
But the rush of passengers is expected to build up later today (Thursday) after the last working day.
Sources said around 2.8 million city people are likely leave the capital to celebrate the Eid at their village homes this year.
The Eid will be celebrated either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the sighting of the Shawal moon.
Sources at the bus terminals said a large number of women and children had already left the city to avoid the late rush.
Witnesses said the situation was largely peaceful this time as home-bound passengers left by buses for different destinations.
But a large number of passengers failing to collect tickets in advance were seen hiring trucks or micro-buses to reach their homes to celebrate the Eid with their near and dear ones.
Officials at the bus, train and launch ticket counters said that all tickets had been sold in advance.
Abu Sayeed Ahmed, station manager of Kamlapur Railway Station, told the FE that they had sold all tickets in advance.
A total of 46108 train tickets had been sold in advance for the period between October 9 and October 13.
Railway sources also said that a special train named Jamalpur Express having 12 coaches had been commissioned October 9 on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
"We have introduced the special train service in the Dhaka-Jamalpur route and it will felicitate train journey by a large number of poor people this year," said Abu Sayeed Ahmed.
Each day a total of 22 inter-city trains are running to and from Dhaka on the occasion of the Eid, railway sources said.
Tickets of luxury coach services were also sold in advance.
Sources at the Green Line, Silk Line, Shohagh and Neptune bus services, which ply between the major cities, tickets had been sold at least 10 days back.
Sources at the Sadarghat Launch terminal said that tickets for cabins and first classes had been sold in advance.
According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), around 120-130 passenger vessels will operate on the occasion of the Eid.
Around 1.0 million home-bound passengers leave the city through the waterways, said Motaher Hossain, director port and traffic of the BIWTA.
Sources at the Sayadabad bus stations told the FE that all the buses were full of passengers and they were not taking extra passengers as the law enforcing agency were monitoring the situation very closely. The personnel of the law enforcing agencies, including those of the RAB and police, have been deployed at the bus, rail and launch stations, to maintain law and order.