The capital’s lunch, bus terminals and railway stations were seeing a huge rush of home-goers on Friday (May 31), and Saturday (Jun 1), as the Eid holidaymakers are leaving Dhaka in large number ahead of a long vacation.
Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, is expected to be celebrated on Jun 5, as it is dependent on Shawal moon sighting.
The capital’s Sadarghat lunch terminal, Sayedabad, Gabtoli and Mahakhali bus terminals, and Kamalapur railway station are seeing a huge crowd of home-goers as people are leaving the capital to enjoy the festival at their village home.
The government, BRTA, BIWTA and the law enforcement agencies took different measures to ensure a hassle-free and safe journey for home-goers. The government employees, who took leave on the only workday on Jun 3, are also leaving the capital from Thursday evening to enjoy the festival at their home with their near and dear ones.
The homebound people of Chattogram division are not facing any traffic gridlock after the opening of Meghna and Gumti bridges on Dhaka-Chattogram highway. Besides, the people of Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh are going to their village by road in large number without facing much traffic gridlock.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is operating a central control room in Dhaka, round-the-clock from Thursday and it will be continued to Jun 9, to ensure smooth journeys for home-goers during the Eid vacation.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the government has taken all necessary measures so that people can go to their homes safely to celebrate Eid with their dears and nears.
“There is no concern of having traffic congestion on roads and highways ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr this year…If discipline is brought in transportation, I think there will be no traffic jam on the roads across the country, including the capital,” he told newsmen while visiting Gabtoli Bus Terminal in the city on Friday, local media reported.
He said home goers may face problems on the Dhaka-Gazipur highway during as road repair work continues there.
“I requested the Gazipur city mayor to deploy 300 volunteers on the road to ease traffic movement,” he added.
Bangladesh Police instructed police officials to verify drivers’ licenses, buses’ fitness certificates and other vehicle documents prior to each Eid journey, to ensure a hassle-free and safe journey for home-goers.
