Eid rush builds on Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Tangail highways

As holidays for Eid-ul-Adha begin at industrial factories, working people in Gazipur have started leaving for their village homes to celebrate Eid with their families.

Since this morning, an increasing number of homebound passengers and vehicles have been seen on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways in Gazipur.

However, no major traffic congestion has been reported so far due to the activities of law enforcement agencies.

Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Md Amjad Hossain said holidays are being announced in phases at most of the nearly 5,600 factories in the Gazipur industrial zone, including garment factories.

"About 45% of factories have declared holidays today. Another 47% will go on holiday tomorrow. The remaining 8% will announce holidays on 27 May," he added.

He further said around 96% of workers have already received their salaries for April, while the remaining 4% are expected to be paid within today.

As the holidays are being declared in phases, he expressed hope that excessive pressure would not be created on the highways all at once.

During a visit to different areas, crowds of passengers heading towards the northern districts and Mymensingh were seen increasing gradually in Chandna Chowrasta, Chandra, Bhogra Peyara Bagan and Tongi areas of Gazipur.

Carrying bags in their hands, on their shoulders and over their heads, people were seen waiting for buses to return home to their loved ones. Extra movement of homebound passengers created added activity at different points on the highways.

Although vehicles were moving slowly at several points due to increased traffic, movement remained normal. No major tailback has been reported so far.

However, sudden rain around noon slowed down traffic on the highways and caused suffering for passengers. Many passengers could not start their journeys on time due to the rain.

As more factory workers are expected to come out on the roads in the afternoon, passenger pressure on the two highways is likely to rise sharply after Monday afternoon.

At different points on the highways, passengers may come onto the road while trying to board their desired vehicles, narrowing the space for vehicular movement. This could slow down traffic, create long queues and possibly lead to heavy congestion.

Meanwhile, passengers said fares were slightly higher than usual, but they were still able to start their journeys home with relative comfort.

Officials concerned said pressure on the highways may increase further as the day progresses.

"I had prepared in advance to avoid trouble. I started early in the morning as soon as my factory was closed. Although there is pressure from vehicles on the road, I have not faced any suffering so far," Fazlul Haque, a passenger heading to Pabna, said.

Bulbul Hossain, a passenger from Rangpur, said long-route buses were charging slightly higher fares than usual due to increased passenger demand. "Many people are travelling by open trucks and pickups to avoid paying extra fares," he said.

Konabari-Naojor Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sowgatul Alam said special preparations have been taken to ensure smooth Eid journeys on the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

"Additional police have been deployed at different important points on the highway, including the Chandra area. Traffic may slow down due to the rain at noon. However, the situation is under our control," he said.

Sowgatul added that special monitoring is underway to prevent illegal parking along the highway and the picking up and dropping off of passengers at random places.

"Wreckers have also been kept ready so that any broken-down vehicle can be removed quickly," he said.

Officials said passenger and vehicle pressure on the highways may increase several times after this afternoon and tomorrow (26 May), when most large factories go on holiday.