Millions head home for Eid as holiday rush overwhelms transport network
At Kamalapur Railway Station, people from various professions, along with students, were waiting for their homebound trains to celebrate the festival with families.
With the start of a seven-day government holiday for Eid-ul-Adha today (25 May), millions of holidaymakers emptied out of Dhaka, triggering a massive travel surge across the capital.
From the early hours of the morning, major transit hubs like Gabtoli, Sayedabad, Kamalapur Railway Station, and Sadarghat Launch Terminal were swamped with crowds eager to reach their hometowns ahead of the festival.
Travellers faced congestion and delays, and complained of higher fares on several routes. At the same time, usually busy areas of the capital, including Panthapath, Karwan Bazar, Gulshan and Bijoy Sarani, appeared noticeably quieter, while metro rail services carried fewer passengers than usual.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Sadarghat overwhelmed amid rain, fare complaints
At Sadarghat Launch Terminal, a surge of Eid travellers combined with intermittent rain caused severe congestion and discomfort for passengers heading to southern districts.
Fares on several river routes were revised due to rising fuel costs. Dhaka-Barishal deck fares increased from Tk450-480 to Tk480-500, Dhaka-Chandpur from Tk170 to Tk185-195, and Dhaka-Bhola from Tk350 to Tk380-400. Per-kilometre government rates were also adjusted upward.
Continuous rainfall since Sunday has worsened access roads, especially the Gulistan-Sadarghat stretch, increasing travel time. Passengers waited on wet pontoons and crowded sheds amid long queues and slippery walkways.
"Fares are higher than before, but we still have to go home for Eid," said Barishal-bound passenger Abu Raihan.
However, some launch operators denied overcharging. Parabat-12 manager Hafizur Rahman said fares remained within approved limits despite adjustments linked to fuel costs. Another passenger also said he paid the official fare.
Authorities said 33 out of 38 river routes were currently operational, with 170 to 180 launches prepared for Eid services. Additional security and monitoring measures have also been introduced to prevent overcharging.
Heavy rush at Gabtoli bus terminal
Heavy crowds also gathered at the Gabtoli Bus Terminal from the morning, with many passengers waiting for delayed buses caught in traffic congestion on highways.
Golden Line counter master Saeed Hossain said buses were arriving late because of road congestion. "A bus coming from Faridpur to Gabtoli is still stuck in Manikganj," he said, adding that most tickets had already been sold until 27 May.
Passengers also complained about sharp fare increases on some routes.
A traveller heading to Paikgacha said he paid Tk1,000 for a ticket that usually costs around Tk700.
Meanwhile, transport hubs in Sayedabad, Jatrabari and Dholairpar experienced heavy passenger pressure throughout the day as travellers waited for hours for buses.
Several commuters alleged that transport operators had increased fares ahead of Eid. A mobile court fined Ahad Transport for charging Tk1,000 instead of the approved Tk790 fare.
Train delays frustrate passengers at Kamalapur
At Kamalapur Railway Station, heavy passenger crowds faced delays as at least five of around 15 departing trains failed to leave on time.
The Dhumketu Express was delayed by around 30 minutes, while the Nilsagar Express departed more than 90 minutes behind schedule. Other delayed services included the Rangpur Express, the Titas Commuter and the Ekota Express.
Railway officials blamed operational complications and unsafe conditions on some tracks, including incidents of straw being dried on railway lines, which forced trains to reduce speed in certain areas.
