People heading home for Eid

With the holy Eid-ul-Adha approaching, thousands of residents of the capital have started leaving Dhaka to celebrate the festival with their families in their native villages, increasing pressure on trains and long-distance buses.

As rail travel is considered more comfortable than road transport, large crowds of passengers were seen at railway stations on Saturday.

Although several trains departed behind schedule, passengers appeared cheerful and eager to reach home safely.

Passengers, however, said long-distance buses were largely departing on time, though some routes were experiencing difficulties due to increased passenger pressure.

Many travellers waiting at terminals said severe traffic congestion and ticket shortages usually intensify once the official Eid holidays begin.

To avoid the rush and suffering, many people have chosen to travel early.

The scenes were witnessed at Dhaka’s Kamalapur and Airport railway stations, where passenger pressure on Saturday was noticeably higher than on Friday.

Trains bound for northern districts were particularly crowded, while eastern routes remained comparatively less congested.

Meanwhile, large numbers of homebound passengers were also seen from early morning at the capital’s Mohakhali, Gabtoli and Sayedabad bus terminals.

It was learned that although the official Eid holiday has not yet started, many working people are already sending their wives, children and elderly parents to their village homes in advance.

Abul Kalam Azad, acting president of the Mohakhali Bus Owners’ Association, said all preparations had been completed to ensure a safe and comfortable Eid journey.

“A committee has been formed by the owners’ association to ensure passenger safety both inside and outside the terminal.

Committee members are monitoring the terminals to prevent excess fare collection. Members of RAB and police are also active.

Overall, ordinary passengers will not face hardship during this year’s Eid journey,” he said.

Security measures have also been strengthened at bus terminals and on highways to ensure smooth travel during Eid.

Police, RAB and other law enforcement agencies are working to maintain passenger safety.

Mohakhali Traffic Inspector Omar Faruk said monitoring would continue to prevent extortion, overcharging and traffic congestion on major travel routes.

Many passengers said train delays are common even during normal times, but added that they were satisfied as long as they could reach home safely.

A student named Sultan said his educational institution had already closed for the holidays, prompting him to travel early.

“If you wait longer, the crowd becomes much bigger,” he said.

According to railway sources, a total of 46 intercity trains and 23 local mail and commuter trains were scheduled to leave Dhaka on Saturday, carrying around 45,000 seated passengers and an additional 15,000 to 20,000 standing passengers.

Visiting Kamalapur Railway Station, Railway Ministry Secretary Fahimul Islam said the railway authorities were fully prepared to prevent disruptions to train schedules during Eid.

“There is no risk of schedule collapse during this Eid journey, and maximum efforts will be made to stop passengers from travelling on train rooftops,” he said.

Railway Director General Engineer Md. Afzal Hossain said adequate measures had been taken to maintain train schedules. He added that 10 special Eid trains had been introduced to accommodate additional passengers.

“This year as well, 100 per cent of train tickets were sold online,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has deployed personnel at congestion-prone areas to ensure smooth Eid travel.

In a press release issued from BGB headquarters on Friday, the force said its members would remain deployed for three days after Eid as well.

According to the release, BGB personnel have been stationed at the Elevated Expressway toll plaza, Mayor Hanif Flyover toll plaza and Padma Bridge toll plaza to help ease traffic congestion and facilitate travel.

At the same time, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has warned public transport operators to follow designated working-hour regulations for drivers in an effort to reduce road accidents during Eid travel.

In a notice issued from its headquarters on Saturday, BRTA said prolonged driving without adequate rest increases fatigue, drowsiness and the risk of drivers falling asleep at the wheel, endangering drivers, conductors, passengers and pedestrians alike.

Under existing motor vehicle laws and regulations, no driver is permitted to operate a vehicle for more than five consecutive hours.

After taking at least a 30-minute break, a driver may operate a vehicle for an additional maximum of three hours, meaning total driving time must not exceed eight hours a day or 48 hours a week.

The notice warned that violating these working-hour regulations significantly increases the risk of road accidents.

BRTA urged both transport owners and drivers to comply strictly with the rules and cautioned that failure to do so could result in the cancellation of driving licences and vehicle registrations.