Post-Eid rush back to Dhaka brings travel woes for thousands

As the 10-day Eid-ul-Azha holiday came to an end today (14 June), waves of people returning to Dhaka created chaos at Kamalapur railway station, Sadarghat launch terminal, and bus stands across the capital. 

Travellers suffered under the scorching heat and transport shortages. Many complained of hours-long traffic congestion and prolonged waits on the road.

Trains from the northern region arriving at Kamalapur were overwhelmed with passengers, some even riding on rooftops. Delays in train schedules further added to the hardship.

Launches arriving at Sadarghat from the southern region were similarly overcrowded. Many passengers were seen standing or sitting on sheets on the decks due to a lack of space.

Around 6am, a TBS reporter observed multiple launches – including Farhan-12 and Karnaphuli-13 – arriving at Sadarghat, carrying passengers from Hatia, Monpura, and various terminals in Bhola. Thousands of people packed the decks and roofs of these vessels.

In addition to Bhola, launches from Barishal and Chandpur also docked at Sadarghat. However, there was little visible presence of administrative officials to manage the crowd.

Habibullah and Rajib Hossain, passengers of the Farhan-12 launch from Bhola, said they could not find space even to stand. "The entire launch was packed with children and women crying in the heat. Many of us rushed to the rooftop. It rained before dawn and we were drenched."

Hasan Al Banna, another passenger from Bhola, said he booked a cabin for his wife and son a day in advance at Hakimuddin Ghat for the Karnaphuli-13 launch, but found no cabin available upon boarding. 

Photo shows overcrowded launch as Eid-ul-Adha holidaymakers begin returning to Dhaka ahead of offices reopening over the weekend. Photo: TBS

"Later I learned there's a powerful syndicate at each terminal controlling cabin bookings and reselling them at inflated prices. I demand that cabin tickets be made available online in the future," he said.

There was also a rush of people returning from Bhola, Barishal and Pirojpur. Passengers complained of excessive fares, poor management, and harassment. Although mobile courts were deployed in some areas, many claimed the measures were inadequate.

Robiul Hasan Bhuiyan, assistant commissioner of the Barishal district administration, said monitoring was ongoing to ensure a safe return journey. "Executive magistrates Hasibul Hasan, Masuma Ahmed Luna, and Shakil Rokhsain are on duty at bus and launch terminals. Today, a mobile court fined three buses Tk35,000 for overcharging and refunded Tk7,000 to passengers," he added.

Firoz Akon, a passenger of the MV Shubhoraj-9 launch, said, "There is no space to sit on the deck. The staff have laid mattresses everywhere and are demanding Tk600 per person. We can't sit anywhere because of this mattress syndicate."

Manik Hawladar, who boarded the Suravi-7 launch, said he initially planned to return by bus but switched to the launch due to exorbitant fares.

By 6:30am, hundreds of passengers were seen walking from Sadarghat to Ray Shaheb Bazar, with buses lined up and overloaded with people. Between Sadarghat and the Judge Court, only a couple of traffic police officers could be spotted.

Launch passengers were seen boarding buses near Victoria Park. While buses are normally available from there for all Dhaka-bound routes, around 30 buses bypassed designated terminals and picked up passengers from near Sadarghat, creating gridlock. The minimum fare on these buses was Tk100.

Drivers of Victor and Akash buses, requesting anonymity, said they had to pay Tk2,000 per vehicle to enter the Sadarghat area, which forced them to charge extra fares from passengers heading to distant locations like Gazipur, Savar and Jatrabari.

Mansur Alam, a passenger, said he travelled from Sadarghat to Malibagh on an Akash bus and was charged Tk100. "Normally from Victoria Park the fare is just Tk20," he said, adding that buses often refused passengers headed for nearby locations, or demanded multiple times the usual fare.

Meanwhile on the Dhaka-Tangail highway, traffic jams stretched over 15 kilometres near the Jamuna Bridge due to excessive vehicle load, causing severe delays for Dhaka-bound passengers.

Officials said a vehicle accident on the bridge and the heavy flow of returning travellers slowed toll collection and led to the backlog.

While northbound traffic flowed normally, vehicles heading to Dhaka were stuck for hours.

"Due to a road accident on the bridge, traffic was slow all night. We hope things will return to normal soon," said Fayez Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge of the Jamuna Bridge East Police Station.

Elenga Highway Police Outpost in-charge Mohammad Sharif added that congestion in the Sirajganj section caused vehicles to back up into Tangail as well. "Our officers are working relentlessly to clear the jam," he said.

Mohammad Minhaj, counter manager at National Travels Kallyanpur, said, "Traffic near Elenga is severe. From the toll plaza of Jamuna Bridge to Elenga, vehicles are moving slowly or stuck. Each of our buses has taken 4–5 hours longer than usual to reach Kallyanpur."