Passenger Welfare Association calls to extend holidays by two days before Eid-ul-Azha

The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) has demanded that authorities announce holidays on Jun 3 and 4 before Eid-ul-Azha in order to ensure safe and pleasant homebound journeys for holidaymakers.

At a press conference held on Tuesday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, the passengers' rights group recommended reducing the holidays after Eid by two days instead.

Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, the organisation's secretary general, presented the keynote address at the briefing.

He said, "The government has approved a 10-day holiday for Eid-ul-Azha. Therefore, during this Eid, 11 million people will leave Dhaka, and an additional 3 million from surrounding areas, totalling at least 14 million.

“If Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on 7th of June, passengers will receive a 2-day government holiday on the 5th and 6th of June before Eid. If Eid is held on 6th of June, then passengers will have a single-day holiday on 5th of June, which is Thursday."

He added, "If the Eid holiday is only two days, then 4 million people will travel to their villages in a single day. If the holiday is only one day, the road, rail, and waterways will not be able to handle transporting 14 million people from Dhaka to their home."

He noted that traffic jams are caused by roadside cattle markets and the movement of trucks carrying livestock during Eid-ul-Azha. As a result, the speed of vehicles will decrease, and passengers may face severe hardship on their way home.

"In such a situation, if the government issues an executive order to adjust the two-day holidays on 11th and 12th June, bringing them forward to 3rd (Tuesday) and 4th (Wednesday) of June, a comfortable Eid journey, similar to Eid-ul-Fitr, will be ensured during Eid-ul-Azha as well,” Mozammel said.

“To reduce passengers' suffering, we earnestly request the kind attention of the chief advisor of the government to consider this matter.”