Over 5 million to leave Dhaka for Eid by Sunday midnight

Ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the largest festival of the Muslim, an estimated five million people are expected to leave Dhaka city between Thursday afternoon and midnight Sunday, creating a massive surge in the capital's transportation hubs.

According to data from the National Committee for Protection of Roads, Railways, and Shipping, as well as the Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF), a substantial three million people will travel by road, while 1.5 million will take the train, and around 0.9 million will travel by waterways.

The Dhaka metropolitan area is set to see a mass exodus of approximately 20 million people, with 10 million of them departing from Dhaka city itself.

The government and transport authorities have ramped up efforts to manage the large influx of passengers, but the unprecedented crowding has already caused significant pressure on the city's transport system.

Local officials have urged commuters to plan their journeys ahead and exercise patience, as the long-awaited Eid holidays lead to one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

Meanwhile, the passenger turnout at the Syedabad bus counter was comparatively low yesterday morning. However, from around 2:30pm, the number of passengers began to gradually increase. Authorities have indicated that the crowd is expected to rise further by midday.

The city's main terminals, including the Sadarghat Launch Terminal, Kamalapur Railway Station, and various bus terminals, are already witnessing overwhelming crowds from last evening as homebound people rush to head village homes for the Eid festival. 

The majority of these Eid travelers are residents of Dhaka's two city corporations and nearby areas, both permanent and temporary.