'Gabtoli to Jamuna bridge in 8hrs': Severe traffic congestion at exit points of Dhaka amid Eid rush
Visiting various bus counters in the capital, our correspondent found passengers complaining that their buses did not leave on time
Massive traffic congestion has built up at various exit points of Dhaka due to the pressure of homebound travelers.
Due to a 10-day long holiday for Eid-ul-Adha, people in the capital are rushing to their hometowns by bus, train, launch, and other means of transport.
As of 11:00am, heavy traffic was seen in Sayedabad area as buses heading toward 19 southern districts as well as Chattogram and Sylhet depart from there.
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Visiting various bus counters in the capital, our correspondent found passengers complaining that their buses did not leave on time.
Sabina Yasmin, a passenger waiting at the Emad bus counter in Dholai Par area, said that her bus was scheduled to depart from Sayedabad at 10:00am.
However, even after 11:00am, the bus had not yet arrived, she said.
A representative from one of the bus counters said that although the buses are leaving Gulistan on time, it is taking a long time to reach Dholai Par due to severe traffic on the flyovers and main roads.
Additionally, a large number of cattle trucks are entering the Shahjahanpur, Golapbagh, and Gopibagh areas as there are cattle markets nearby.
Many of these trucks are being parked on the roads, further worsening the situation.
Besides the extra vehicles already on the roads, some areas are experiencing severe gridlock, while others are unusually empty.
At Dholai Par intersection, members of the army, Ansar, jail police, and community police were seen jointly managing traffic alongside regular police members.
A significant rush of homebound passengers was also seen at the Gabtoli bus terminal in Dhaka.
Since this morning, there has been a heavy crowd at the ticket counters.
A one-hour visit to the terminal starting from 11:00am revealed that buses packed with passengers were leaving the capital.
However, many travelers were still unable to get tickets.
Mohammad Shahriar, who was heading to Jhenaidah, said around 12:00pm, "I've been looking for tickets for almost an hour but couldn't get one for any bus."
Mohammad Zafar, who was going to Khoksa in Kushtia, had also been searching for tickets for an hour without success.
Hridoy, counter manager of Kotalipara-bound Star Express at Gabtoli, said, "The passenger turnout is good this time."
Shakhawat Hossain, a passenger who was headed for Rajshahi from Gabtoli Bus Terminal, said, "There is severe traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Tangail highway. It has taken me eight hours to reach Jamuna Bridge from Gabtoli."
Meanwhile, Md Abdul Jabbar Mondol, assistant director of the Dhaka district office of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, visited the Gabtoli bus terminal this noon.
When asked about complaints from passengers about not getting tickets, he told The Business Standard, "Tickets for today have already been sold out in many places through advance booking. Around 12:00pm, a passenger complained to me about not getting a ticket. When I took him to the counter, we found a ticket for a bus scheduled to leave at 5:00pm. However, the passenger did not want to wait that long.
"During Eid season, it's difficult to get immediate tickets. Passengers have to wait. The pressure of travelers is quite high today," he said.
Some passengers were seen boarding a truck in front of the Gabtoli bus terminal after failing to get bus tickets.
According to sources, the truck had brought cattle to the Gabtoli cattle market.
During this time, the truck driver's assistant was heard saying, "500 taka for Kushtia," our correspondent reported.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was scheduled to visit the Sayedabad bus terminal at 11:00am today (5 June).
However, at 11:10am, Public Relations Officer of the ministry Foysal Hasan said in a message that due to unavoidable circumstances, the adviser would not visit the Sayedabad terminal.
Instead, he visited the Gabtoli bus terminal and Gabtoli cattle market around 11:30am.
