As this will be the first Eid after the inauguration of Bangladesh's first-ever metro rail, many are curious to know whether the trains will be in operation during the holidays.
According to the authorities, no decision has been reached in this regard yet, but it might come next week.
This correspondent talked to several people who regularly use the metro rail for their commutes.
Most of them seemed to be in favour of the authorities running the metro rail service during the Eid holidays.
Some commuters demanded the services be kept running, even if on a limited scale, during the holidays, which they said will increase the popularity of the metro rail among Dhaka residents.
They added that it will attract common people in Dhaka, which becomes deserted during holidays.
Mesbaur Rahman, a regular user of the service, said just after its launch, the metro rail was overcrowded with excited people. There was also a huge crowd on the holiday of March 26.
Since this is the first Eid after the launch of the metro rail, many will want to board it for a new experience, he added.
Another passenger, Sirajul Islam, said those who have not yet boarded the metro rail will take this opportunity if the service is kept open during the Eid holidays. Regular passengers will also board the metro rail along with their family members. As a result, it can become a “source of entertainment.”
Most passengers expect that the service will remain in operation as this is the first Eid after the inauguration and the service was open on March 26.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Manager (Civil and P-Way) Mahfuzur Rahman said no decision has been made yet on whether the metro rail will run during the Eid holidays.
Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan, deputy project director of Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-6), said a decision on this may come next week.
On December 28, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated Bangladesh's first elevated metro rail, setting a milestone in the country's transport sector.
From April 5, the operation hours of the Dhaka metro rail service have been 8am to 2pm, which was 8:30am to 12:30pm before.
At present, commuters can enjoy the metro rail ride using all nine stations from Uttara to Agargaon.
The Dhaka metro rail is expected to start operating in full swing in July and then the trains will run non-stop from dawn to midnight.
According to DMTCL, trips to Motijheel may start by the end of 2024 and Kamalapur by 2025.
By December 2024, the metro rail will start operation from Agargaon to Kamalapur with 24 trains.
Nearly 1.08 million people had used the Dhaka metro rail as of the end of March, earning its authorities about Tk6.2 crore in revenue till March.
Meanwhile, in the three months since its inauguration, they had to spend Tk7.33 crore on the service, including its electricity bills, according to authorities.