C T Online Desk: The last phase of Eid journeys started on Thursday as thousands of home-bound people were seen leaving Dhaka and adjacent districts crowding road, water and rail transports.
On the last workday ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, people suffered due to crisis of transports, congestion on roads and at ferry terminals and higher-than-normal fares.
Eid-ul-Fitr this year will be celebrated either on May 2 or May 3 based on moon sighting.
The official Eid vacation starts on May 1, but practically today (Friday), the first day of the weekend.
With the dawning of Thursday, people were seen leaving Dhaka by trains, buses and launches.
Home-goers were seen flocking the designated railway stations in the capital for Eid journeys since early morning crowding the station platforms.
On the day, standing tickets for trains were sold to facilitate passengers to go to their village homes.
Some trains were behind the schedules, including Nilsagor Express and Dhumketu Express.
Some people were seen selling their train tickets to others while there were no NID numbers on the tickets.
The Bangladesh Railway made it mandatory for buyers to show NIDs at the time of purchasing train tickets.
Asked, a railway staff said that in such a rush hour it was impossible to check everyone’s NID.
At the Sadarghat launch terminal, a huge number of people were seen leaving the capital in the afternoon and the evening.
The decks of the passenger vessels were seen full with people.
The major bus terminals at Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Saidabad in the city also witnessed rushes of passengers since morning.
Some bus passengers on different routes said that they had to pay higher fares than the regular.
The busy capital roads gradually became thinner in most of the areas as the day progressed due to the declining presence of people.
The New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that since Thursday morning a heavy pressure of travellers was seen at the Shimulia ferry terminal.
Over 300 vehicles, especially cars and motorcycles, were seen waiting in the terminal area in the morning.
The pressure began to ease after the morning rush.
However, pressure was seen all day long on launches and speedboats on the Shimulia–Banglabazar route.
Passengers were seen crossing the river risking their lives by speedboats.
They also suffered as they came to the ferry terminals by legunas and three-wheeler vehicles paying exorbitant fares.
Md Rahim, an Eid traveller out of Dhaka, said that he had been waiting at the Shimulia terminal for about three hours to cross the river as the number of ferries was not enough.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Shimulia terminal manager (commercial) Md Faisal said that 10 ferries were plying on the route.
The pressure of people from Dhaka would increase as the evening would near, he added.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority assiatnat director Md Shahadat Hossain said that the number of passengers crossing the river by launches and speedboats had increased.
These passengers waited for long for ferries before they embarked on journeys by launches and speedboats, he said, adding that 153 speedboats and 83 launches were plying on the route on the day.
Fatal accidents involving speedboats are frequent in the river.
The New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that since Thursday afternoon the pressure of passenger vehicles had gone up at the Paturia terminal.
According to BIWTC, three ferries were added to the Paturia–Daulatdia fleet on the day.
Currently, with the addition, 21 ferries were plying on the route to facilitate the Eid journey of homebound people.
Small vehicles are being stopped at Tepra on the Dhaka–Aricha highway, some 10 km before the Paturia terminal, and directed via a separate road to cross ghat-5.
Other ferry ghats were closed to trucks while trucks carrying emergency goods were seen moving.
Launch owner Masudur Rahman said, ‘Passengers are crossing the Paturia–Daulatdia channel by 20 launches.’
BIWTC Aricha office deputy general manager Shah Khaled Newaz said that 21 ferries were plying on the route for both vehicles and passengers.
‘As of 5:00pm on Thursday, 1800 small vehicles, 360 trucks and 260 buses had crossed the channel. As there are enough ferries, I hope the passengers will not suffer,’ he added.
The New Age correspondent in Sirajganj reported that since Thursday morning pressure of vehicles from Dhaka had increased in Mulibari, Kodda, Konaganti, Nolka and Hatikumrul areas along the Dhaka–Rangpur highway.
Many motorcyclists were seen running on the road without helmet risking their lives.
Bangabandhu Bridge maintenance and operation agency executive engineer Masud Bappi said that 23,611 vehicles crossed the bridge on April 26 and 25,450 vehicles on April 27.
The number of vehicles is increasing, he added.
Hatikumrul police station officer-in-charge Lutfur Rahman said that they were working to keep the situation smooth.
The New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that the number of vehicles on the Dhaka–Tangail–Bangabandhu Bridge highway increased on the day.
Elenga highway police station OC Atowar Rahman said that the pressure of vehicles was increasing.
Traffic congestion was seen in some areas, including Gorai.
