Eid travel woes a thing of past as journeys remain hassle-free

Shafiqul Rahman, an official at a private company, made the journey from Arambagh in Dhaka to Cumilla in just two hours.

It was a pace he had not experienced in the past decade of Eid travels.

“I can't believe it. I've never had such a smooth Eid journey. I reached Cumilla from Arambagh in just two hours, and even took a 40-minute break for Iftar. This has never happened in the last ten years,” he said.

Speaking to bdnews24, Shafiqul described his surprising Friday journey. "In previous years, there was always some level of traffic. I believe the administration was quite active this time.

“I saw traffic police cars at different points along the route."

It echoed the remarks of Mosharraf Hossain, the general manager of Hanif Enterprise, who said he had not seen such an Eid travel in his 40 years in the transport industry.

He told bdnews24.com on Saturday, "Eid holidays effectively began from the night of the 25th March. Due to the long holiday, people didn’t need to travel all at once, and this has had an impact on the roads."

"In my 40 years of service, I’ve never seen such a long holiday before Eid. People have been able to return home gradually at their convenience. As a result, the pressure on the roads has been reduced.

“There were traffic jams from Nabinagar to Chandra. On Friday, it took 7-8 hours to cross that road. But [on Saturday], there isn’t much traffic."

At Mohakhali inter-district bus terminal, the crowd of passengers was noticeably lower than usual.

Drivers and helpers said the long holiday had affected the Eid travel this year.

It was not just buses; passengers also reported smooth journeys on trains and launches, with fewer hassles than any other time.

A passenger at Kamalapur Railway Station, the country's busiest terminal, said all trains had departed on time.

Passengers and transport officials alike said travel has been relatively hassle-free due to the long public holiday before the festival, school closures, and the opening of unfinished sections on major highways.

Train schedules ran smoothly, and the number of passengers on launches was also lower than usual.

However, there were some occasional traffic snarls between Savar’s Nabinagar and Gazipur’s Chandra.

Passengers also complained about higher fare charges on certain routes.

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection carried out raids at terminals and different transport counters to prevent such practices.

This time, the usual scenes of overwhelming crowds, traffic congestion, exhausted passengers waiting at terminals and stations, or the rush to board launches were noticeably absent.

Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed in Bangladesh on Monday or Tuesday, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.

Most travellers are heading home assuming Monday as Eid.

As a result, those who did not rush after office on Thursday and those who wanted to avoid Friday’s crowd at the beginning of the nine-day holiday left Dhaka on Saturday.

On this day, almost all those who left the capital have set off on their journey or reached their loved ones with a sense of relief.

Now, only a few people will head home on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, known as Chaand Raat.

Buses, trains, and launches began their Eid journeys on Mar 24.

With Friday and Saturday being the weekly holidays, the official Eid holiday started on Friday.

In addition, Wednesday (Mar 26) was also a public holiday. As a result, many passengers began returning home after Tuesday evening.

On Thursday afternoon, there was a noticeable influx of homebound passengers at different transport counters and terminals across Dhaka.

Mahmudul Hasan, a journalist, told bdnews24.com that he had travelled from Mohammadpur to Shariatpur in just one and a half hours on Saturday morning without encountering significant traffic.

He added, “Buses were picking up passengers at bus stops on the expressway at Ikuria, Hasnabad, and Chhunkutiya. This caused some minor congestion on the road, but I wouldn’t exactly call it a traffic jam.

“I didn’t notice much of a line at the expressway toll plazas either. This year’s Eid journey is truly different from previous years.

“In addition to the long holiday, the movement of Awami League leaders and activists has been minimal this time. They make up a large portion of the country’s population, so that could be a reason.”

Miraj Hossain, a passenger on the Dhaka-Mymensingh route with United Paribahan, told bdnews24.com: "This time, there’s less crowd. They’re not charging extra fare either. The fare to Mymensingh is usually TK 310, and it’s still the same [on Saturday].

“I can’t say much about the road conditions; we’ll know once we move forward."

Abu Sayeed, a passenger on the Anannya Plus bus on the Dhaka-Kishoreganj route, said: “In other years, the fare increases during Eid. They raise it by Tk 50 or Tk 70 and put a stamp on it. But I haven’t seen anything like that this time. They’re charging the same fare as before.”

Ferdous Alam, a driver of Grameen Travels on the Mohakhali to Chapainawabganj route, told bdnews24.com: “The administration is active this time. Also, they’ve opened up all the roads, which has made travel easier. If police keep an eye on the main points, there won’t be any jams. I’ve seen this over the past few days.

“However, there’s still a jam at Chandra, but it’s not as severe as before. The main reason is that this time, with the long holiday, people are travelling gradually — some today, some tomorrow — which has reduced the pressure on the roads.”

At the Sayedabad inter-district bus terminal on Saturday, there was no overwhelming crowd of passengers.

While there was a slight pressure on routes to the south, Noakhali, and Cumilla, transport officials said passenger traffic was much lower on routes to Sylhet.

Mohammad Fazlu, Chattogram route's Saint Martin Paribahan bus assistant, was standing at the Sayedabad Jonopoth intersection, calling out to passengers.

He told bdnews24.com: “This time, there are more holidays. Many people have already travelled. It’s easier to travel to Chattogram by train. Many have travelled by train.

“Now, there aren’t many passengers. The buses may be full on the night trip.”

Some buses leaving Sayedabad charged extra fares.

Liton Sarkar, the supervisor at Eagle Paribahan, told bdnews24.com: “The regular fare is Tk 600, but we’re charging Tk 700.

“With Tk 700, you can also go to Barishal, and from there, you can travel to the next stop, Bhandaria,” he added.

TRAINS DEPARTING ON TIME

Bangladesh Railway began selling tickets in advance on Mar 14, with Eid train journeys starting on Mar 24.

According to passengers, train travel this Eid has been more comfortable than in previous years.

All trains from Kamalapur Railway Station departed on time.

Abdur Razzak, a passenger on the Kurigram Express, said his train, scheduled for 8am on Friday, departed right on time.

He had left his home later than usual, expecting a delay, but the train left promptly and arrived in Kurigram on time as well.

“For the first time in four years, I’ve seen the Kurigram Express depart on time. Usually, it reaches Kurigram at 10, 11, or even 12pm, but this time, it arrived at 7am on Saturday. The new bridge might be the reason for this," Razzak said.

Trains also left Kamalapur on schedule on Saturday, except for the Silk City Express, which was delayed by one and a half hours due to a wheel issue.

Rakibul Hasan, a passenger travelling to Rajshahi, said: “Travelling to the north during Eid usually means facing immense hardship—hours of traffic jams on the roads and disrupted train schedules.

“But this time, I haven't heard of any such issues.”

Station Manager Md Shahadat Hossain told bdnews24.com, "Since the start of the Eid journey until Saturday, train operations have been running smoothly. No trains have been delayed.

“The opening of the Jamuna Railway Bridge has improved services for northern routes.

“In addition, trains to Chattogram, Sylhet, Mymensingh, and Khulna have also departed on time. Better management has ensured timely departures," he added.

PASSENGER RUSH DECLINES ON LAUNCHES

The scene at the Sadarghat launch terminal has changed since the opening of the Padma Bridge.

This time, ahead of Eid, the usual crowds at the terminal have largely disappeared.

The main rush of people heading home from Dhaka began on Thursday.

However, on Thursday afternoon, there was no significant crowd at the Sadarghat.

Passenger pressure increased slightly after sunset, but, according to launch employees, it remained comparatively low compared with the available launches.

After a few days of fewer passengers, the crowd at the launch terminal increased on Saturday.

A visit to the terminal revealed that passenger presence had grown compared with previous days.

In the morning, there was more congestion at the pontoons heading to Chandpur, Barisal, Bhola, Barguna, Hatia, and Patuakhali.

Mohammad Dulal Hossain, supervisor of MV Sundarban-15, said: "[on Saturday], due to high demand on the Patuakhali route, we are operating this launch at the administration's request.

“The regular launches at the terminal are struggling to accommodate passengers, so this one is running as a special service to Patuakhali."

Arif Khan, a passenger travelling to Patuakhali, said: "I’m travelling with a few others, and we are taking a cabin. Buses aren’t comfortable, so we prefer the launch. Sharing a cabin helps keep costs down."

Abu Saleh Mohammad Ehteshamul Parvez, deputy director (Dhaka River Port) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said, from Thursday midnight to Friday midnight, 108 launches departed from Sadarghat.

From Friday midnight to Saturday at 5pm, 70 launches left the terminal, while 69 returned.

He added that the long holiday had made travel by launch easier than before.

In addition, BIWTA's strict monitoring has contributed to smooth operations.

The BITWA official said, "[on Saturday], passengers are travelling very well. The management of launches has improved.

“In previous years, passengers often faced problems due to a lack of launches, but this has not been the case this time. The phased leave from the garment factories has prevented any sudden pressure.

“With the long holiday, people have also come gradually, which has made it easier for us to manage.

“So far, we have not received any complaints about extra charges. The owners have assured us that there will be no extra fares," he concluded.

TRAFFIC WOES ON NABINAGAR-CHANDRA ROUTE

Most highways leading out of Dhaka remained relatively free of traffic congestion this Eid.

However, the stretch from Savar’s Nabinagar to Gazipur’s Chandra was an exception.

In addition, congestion was reported at Gazipur Chowrasta, Kaliakair, and Tangail’s Mirzapur. Traffic in these areas persisted into Saturday evening.

Mohammad Aslam, a driver of Hanif Paribahan on the Dhaka-Rangpur route, told bdnews24.com: “On Friday, it took six to seven hours to cross Chandra. Buses were parked on the road to pick up garment factory workers.

“In addition, roadworks are still ongoing in that section, causing the traffic jam. Apart from that, there were no other major issues on the roads,” he added.

[Writing in English by Sheikh Fariha Bristy]