CHATTOGRAM, May 25: The bustling roads of the port city of Chattogram wear a deserted look as most of the city-dwellers have already left for their village homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslim community.
The seven-day Eid holiday (May 25-31) has begun today (on Monday). Presence of people in the city streets is very thin as most of the townspeople left for their village homes yesterday and today. A small number of vehicles are now playing the city streets.
Despite the closure of all government organisationis, banks and other financial institutions, only Chittagong port, the prime seaport of the country, will operate under special management during the Eid holiday.
Syed Reffayet Hamim, secretary of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), said, "The Chittagong port will remain open during the Eid holiday. The operational activities of the Chittagong sea port will remain closed from 8am to 4pm on Eid day only. On the other days, the port will remain operational under special management."
As all banks and financial institutions have gone on the seven-day Eid vacation, most of the common people have become sufferers. But the private courier service companies have benefited from the holiday.
Finding no other alternatives, most of the people have transacted their money through the private courier services from one city to another.
Cashing in on the closure of the financial institutions, the courier service providers are also charging higher from the customers.
The seven-day Eid holiday will end on May 31. From June 1, all the private and public offices will reopen.
On the holidays, the city streets look empty with a handful of people visiting their relatives' houses in the city. But the recreation spots of the city including Foy's Lake, Chattogram Zoo, Children Park and the Patenga sea beach remain full of visitors.
However, law enforcing agencies including Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) have taken special measures to maintain law and order during the Eid-ul-Azha holiday.
CMP officials said that the law enforcing agencies, particularly the police, have taken special measures to ensure public security in Chattogram during the Eid holiday.
"We have set up check posts and deployed a large number of policemen at the important spots. As a result, people can stay safer than previous years," said a high CMP official.
CMP deployed special teams for ensuring security. Besides, several mobile teams are patrolling in the city as well as vulnerable areas of district in this regard.
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