Capital returning to its normal rhythm as Eid holidays end
The capital city is returning to its familiar rhythm as its dwellers are coming back to their workplaces after the end of the extended nine-day holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr.
Spending the holidays with beloved ones, people have begun streaming back into Dhaka, marking the end of a brief period of tranquility in the bustling metropolis.
Public and private offices, courts and educational institutions opened today, signaling the beginning of a busy workweek. Empty city roads are filling up with vehicles as public transports are resuming their regular services.
From early morning today, Kamalapur Railway Station witnessed a significant crowd as city dwellers arriving back from their hometowns. Around 11 million people left Dhaka to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their families, dramatically altering the usual busy atmosphere of the city.
As the first working day after the long holiday, the usual sights of the city’s roads are visible. Most of the schools and colleges in the city resumed their classes today.
Several major roads in Dhaka, including Motijheel, Paltan, Kakrail, Malibagh, Rampura, Badda, Shyamoli, Kalyanpur, Agargaon, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, and Banglamotor, have witnessed an increasing traffic, with congestion reported at various points.
It was observed that after 8:30am, public transport became limited, resulting in large crowds at bus stoppages with commuters eager to get to their destinations. While no traffic jams were reported immediately after the morning rush, by midday, the roads were already feeling the pressure of the returning commuters.
The city’s workforce, eager to get back to their daily routines, crowded the bus terminals early this morning. Some waited patiently for a bus, while others seized the opportunity to get on any available vehicle. Public buses were crowded, and standing space was scarce.
Besides, the buses, personal vehicles were also more noticeable on the roads, and traffic police were seen diligently managing the traffic signals.
According to the city’s public transport owners and workers, number of passengers had significantly dropped during the Eid holidays, with many vehicles sitting idle. However, they reported that the number of passengers has started to pick up again since yesterday with larger number of passengers today.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) reported that during the seven-day Eid break, a total of 10.7 million mobile users left Dhaka. Out of them, 4.4 million have entered the city again.
The data revealed that more people left Dhaka than entered during this period. On March 30, the highest number of people, approximately 2.39 million mobile users, left the capital. In contrast, only around 491,000 entered Dhaka that day.
The highest number of returnees was recorded on April 3, when 998,579 mobile users entered Dhaka. As the number of people returning to the capital increases, Dhaka is gradually returning to its familiar pace and rhythm.
As the capital awakens from its holiday slumber, the city is once again bustling with activities, signaling a return to the everyday flow of life.