Holidaymakers travelling on the increasingly crowded roads and railways, particularly on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways, are bearing the brunt of increased fares and rainfall as they head home to spend the Eid-ul-Azha with their loved ones.
Since Wednesday morning, a stream of homeward-bound passengers has been noticed at various intersections on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways.
Passengers have been spotted waiting for transportation in various places along the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, such as Tongi, College Gate, Board Bazar, Chandana Chowrasta, Salna, Rajendrapur, Bhabanipur, Bagher Bazar, areas of Sreepur upazila, Gorgoria Master Bari, Mawna Chowrasta, MC Bazar, Noyonpur and Joina Bazar, as well as Kaliakair and Chandra along the Dhaka-Tangail highway.
The drizzling rain is accompanying the homeward-bound passengers. Women and children are facing the most distress.
Even though there is no traffic congestion on the highways, the pressure of passengers remains.
Law enforcement agencies are working in the field to alleviate the distress of the passengers.
Mahbubur Rahman from Akua in Mymensingh Sadar, waiting for a bus in the Tongi College Gate area, said that it has been raining since morning and despite the high number of passengers on the roads, buses are scarce, causing the fare to increase.
“I waited for a bus from 10:30am to 12:30pm in the rain, which did not arrive,” he said, sharing frustration.
“Many passengers are heading towards their destinations with umbrellas over their heads. Despite the increased fares, many were forced to reach their destinations in various vehicles, including rickshaws,” he added.
Abdul Khalek, who was at the Kaliakair bus stand and heading towards Sonatola village in Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj, said: "I have been waiting for a bus since 11am. I have my wife and children with me. What will they do? If I were alone, I could stand anywhere. Every time I have to suffer on the highway to go home.”
Although fares tend to rise more during Eid, he mentioned that the fares have increased significantly this Eid due to the rain.
Speaking at Chandra Bus Stand, Tarequl Islam, an account officer, expressed his sufferings due to rain and an increase in bus fares by saying: "I had to buy a ticket for Tk120, a steep increase from the usual price of Tk50."
"When I was about to board the bus, I noticed only a short queue of vehicles waiting for passengers," he said.
"I am worried that we might face increasing traffic congestion as the day progresses towards noon,” he added, expressing his concerns about the day ahead.
Naimul Islam, a worker at Meghna Garment Factory and heading towards Gazirbhita village in Haluaghat upazila of Mymensingh, lamented: "Despite the high fares, we have no choice but to travel."
Khorshed Alam, the driver of Rajib Transport of Jamalpur, said passengers pay a bit more for the fare ahead of Eid, and they do not hesitate to pay extra.
Naojor Highway Police Officer in Charge (OC) Atikul Islam informed that there was no traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Tangail highway until Wednesday afternoon.
"Due to the holiday at all garment factories in Gazipur on Tuesday, the pressure of passengers on the highway has decreased somewhat," he said.
Highway police are fully prepared to make the return journey of homebound passengers easy and traffic-free, he added.
Nazmus Sakib Khan, additional superintendent of police of highway police, said: "To minimize accidents during Eid travel, 600 members of Gazipur Police are working on Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways. We have been emphasizing the entry point to Chandra, since a week ago. We have deployed 300 police officers in two shifts at that location. The police are working round the clock in shifts."
Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Alamgir Hossain said 500 police officers are working in three shifts to keep the highways traffic-free during the Eid journey.
“Due to the increased awareness of the drivers and the practice of not picking up passengers everywhere, the traffic congestion has decreased significantly this time," he added.