Pressure mounts at bus terminals as Eid journey begins

With Eid-ul-Fitr approaching, garment workers from the Savar-Ashulia industrial area, along with residents of the capital, have begun traveling home to celebrate with their families.

Garment factories are preparing for the holidays, and Tuesday (March 25) was the last working day for many factories. With that, the holiday season has begun, and the Eid journey to celebrate with loved ones has started.

From the afternoon onwards, the bus terminals became crowded with a significant increase in passengers. The pressure on transportation also increased on the Dhaka-Aricha highway heading towards the southern region and the Nabinagar-Chandra highway heading towards the northern region. As usual, there are complaints of additional fare charges.

After 4.00 pm, the Nabinagar bus terminal on the Dhaka-Aricha highway and the Baipail bus terminal on the Nabinagar-Chandra highway saw heavy congestion due to an increased number of passengers. The counters at Nabinagar's long-distance bus terminal were crowded with passengers waiting for buses.

At Baipail bus terminal, long-distance buses heading to northern regions were seen waiting on one side of the road, hoping to pick up passengers. Passengers were also waiting at the counters. Microbus drivers were calling out to passengers for various destinations. There was some traffic congestion due to buses and microbuses parked along the service lanes at Baipail.

The transport fares from Nabinagar to Paturia were being charged at Tk200, although the regular fare is Tk120. The fare from Nabinagar to Kaliakair was also being asked to be doubled.

Sohag Howlader, waiting for a bus to Sirajganj at Baipail, said, "I already sent my family earlier. I am going alone today. So I didn’t book the ticket in advance. Now even the local buses are going to Paturia ferry. The fare is a bit higher, but what can I do? This happens every year."

Shahina Khatun, a garment worker heading to Bogura, said, "I already sent my children. Today, I am going. My husband will go two days before Eid. I got a vehicle, but they are asking for extra fare. It's fine, I have to go home."

Police Superintendent (SP) Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan of Industrial Police-1 said, "Some smaller factories have given holidays, but the main pressure on roads and highways will begin from March 27. On that day, as most factories will close after their duty, the crowd of homeward-bound people and vehicles will increase."

Sawgatul Alam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Savar Highway Police, said, "We are working to ensure the safe and comfortable travel of homebound people, as well as overall law and order and security. We are addressing any complaints as they arise."