Eid exodus begins as holidaymakers crowd Kamalapur Railway Station

The exodus from the capital is underway as holidaymakers embark on their journeys home ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

With a nine-day holiday stretching from Friday to Apr 3, people have begun departing the city, with Kamalapur Railway Station seeing a notable increase in passenger volume since early Thursday.

A visit to the station on Thursday morning revealed that most trains were departing on schedule.

Only those who had secured advance tickets on Mar 17 were able to board the trains.

Among the trains that left on time were the Rangpur Express, Narayanganj Commuter, Jamalpur Express, Ekota Express, Kishoreganj Express, and Jayantika Express.

However, the Nilsagar Express, bound for Chilahati in Nilphamari, was delayed.

“The train arrived in Dhaka late, which caused the delay in its departure,” Shahadat Hossain, the station manager at Kamalapur, told bdnews24.com.

To maintain schedule integrity, the railway authorities have suspended stops at Dhaka’s Airport Railway Station for nine Dhaka-bound trains, including the Ekota, Drutojan, Panchagarh, Nilsagar, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Chilahati, and Burimari Express services.

These changes will remain in effect until the day before Eid.

Travellers have reported a reduction in the usual ticketing chaos, as all seats are now sold online.

A limited number of last-minute tickets—25 percent of luxury and economy class seats—are made available at counters two hours before departure.

Security has been visibly tightened at Kamalapur, with the Rapid Action Battalion, police, and Ansar forces patrolling platforms and ticketing areas.

Thursday marked the final working day before the extended holiday.

With most offices closing after Thursday, the real surge in travellers is expected to begin on Friday.

Reazul Haque, a resident of Rajshahi working in Dhaka, had secured a ticket for the Banalata Express.

“I booked in advance, so I didn’t have to struggle much,” he said.

“I just hope my return journey is as smooth.”

Md Shah Alam, a private-sector employee, was traveling to Sylhet with his family.

“The overall management is good so far, but tomorrow will be the real test. Some offices were open today as well. May everyone’s Eid journey be smooth,” he noted.

The sale of return tickets will begin on Apr 3, with tickets for Apr 6 available that day.

Sales will continue on Mar 28, 29, and 30 for return journeys on Apr 7, 8, and 9, respectively.

In an effort to ease congestion, local train services between Joydebpur and Dhaka have been temporarily suspended. These local trains will remain closed during Eid.

In response to the annual demand surge, authorities have introduced five pairs of special trains: the Chandpur Eid Special (Chattogram-Chandpur), Dewanganj Eid Special (Dhaka-Dewanganj), and two Sholakia Eid Specials (Bhairabbazar-Kishoreganj and Mymensingh-Kishoreganj).

The Parbatipur Eid Special will operate between Joydebpur and Parbatipur.

Additionally, 44 extra coaches have been attached to the trains to accommodate the growing number of passengers.

“This time, we have ensured a smooth and comfortable journey for all passengers,” said Station Manager Shahadat.

“As of 9am today, 13,611 return tickets had already been sold.”