Eid rush at Gabtoli: 'Ticket shortage, high fares' cause suffering for passengers
The situation worsened in the evening when heavy rain forced passengers to take shelter inside crowded counters. Many were seen boarding buses while drenched.
As Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, a surge of homebound people at Gabtoli Bus Terminal has led to a "shortage of tickets", severe traffic congestion, and allegations of overcharging, leaving passengers bound for northern districts in distress.
Nazim Mia, who came to the terminal with his sister to travel to Bogura, said he had been waiting for nearly two hours but could not find tickets.
"Later, we were told tickets to Rangpur were available, but they were asking Tk1,600. Usually, we travel to Bogura for Tk350 to Tk400. It's not possible to pay that much," he said.
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Many passengers reported similar experiences, moving from one counter to another without success. However, those who had purchased advance tickets were able to board buses on time.
Another passenger, Mohammad Maruf, said he was uncertain about reaching home before Eid after failing to secure a ticket despite a long wait.
Transport operators attributed the situation to traffic congestion. Mohammad Selim, a counter master, said three buses had been stuck for nearly three hours in the Chandura area due to heavy gridlock.
"If those buses had arrived in Dhaka on time, they could have taken passengers again," he said.
He added that while the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) fare for the Dhaka-Bogura route is around Tk550, a shortage of buses has led to a lack of available seats. Buses from Bogura are taking three to five hours to reach Dhaka.
The situation worsened in the evening when heavy rain forced passengers to take shelter inside crowded counters. Many were seen boarding buses while drenched.
Afsana, a passenger, said, "I couldn't get a ticket, and now it's raining. I don't feel safe travelling at night. I will try again in the morning."
Although pressure at Gabtoli has reduced compared to previous years following the opening of the Padma Bridge, which shifted many southern passengers to other routes, demand remains high for those travelling north.
Passengers heading to Satkhira also reported paying higher fares. Mizanur Rahman said he bought a ticket for Tk1,000, significantly above the usual rate, and was waiting for a night departure.
Transport insiders warn that without improved traffic management, strict monitoring of fares, and increased bus supply, passenger suffering may intensify in the coming days ahead of Eid.
