Every mode of transport including bus, train and launch yesterday saw a huge rush of holidaymakers bound for village homes with a day away from Eid-ul-Azha.
People leaving Dhaka had to go through immense sufferings as it happens every year but this time their misery was compounded by intermittent rain.
The highways were not completely congested but the train and bus stations and launch terminals were crowded with home-bound people desperately trying to secure a berth to make their journey back home a bit comfortable.
Visiting Gabtoli and Syedabad bus terminals yesterday this correspondent found people jostling for their coveted seats.
Rafikul Islam, a passenger waiting for bus at Gabtoli Terminal yesterday said: “We are going to Kurigram. The bus was scheduled to start at 10am but we have been waiting for over three hours. The bus is yet to come.”
Arif, a bus counter man of Hanif Enterprise, said their buses could not return in time due to tailback on the highways.”
The monsoon rain caused water-logging in and around the Syedabad Terminal disrupting smooth movement of passengers.
The road between Syedabad and Jatrabari went under rainwater and caused huge traffic tailback.
However, a number of buses mostly bound for Chandpur, Noakhali, Daudkandi were seen carrying extra passengers on the roofs.
With the day progressing bus terminals at Mohakhali also saw increase of passengers.
Police were deployed at all the terminals to maintain law and order while mobile courts administered by the local administration were on patrol to ensure that passengers faced no harassment during the journey.
Thousands of people from the southern districts thronged the Mawa-Kawrakandi ferry terminal to set off for their hometowns yesterday.
The terminals were crowded since the morning with passengers boarding launches, speedboats and ferries to reach their destinations.
Salam Hossain, manager of Kawrakandi ferry terminal, said the number of passengers leaving the terminal for their village homes was huge.
“We are putting in our best efforts to ensure a hassle-free journey for holidaymakers ahead of Eid,” he added.
Despite heavy rainfall and recent storms, thousands have chosen the waterways as their preferred mode of travel. The entire Sadarghat Launch Terminal and its surrounding areas were packed to the brink with people looking to secure a seat in launches bound for their homes.
Most of the trains departed Kamalapur Railway Station on time yesterday.
However, some passengers at Kamalapur said this was only a short delay compared to their experiences in the previous years.