On the last day of the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital saw an overwhelming rush of passengers as the station turned into a sea of people returning from their hometowns, and train schedules fell into disarray with several experiencing significant delays.
Around 11am on Saturday, a visit to Kamalapur Railway Station revealed that each train was unloading far more passengers than its designated capacity.
Many had travelled on the rooftops of trains—an image that was evident even on air-conditioned coaches. Most passengers were not wearing masks, and there was little regard for health guidelines.
Meanwhile, not only were people returning to Dhaka, but many who work outside the capital were also heading back to their workplaces. According to railway authorities, the pressure of passengers increased on the day as government offices are scheduled to reopen on Sunday.
Zamir Ali, a passenger of the Banalata Express from Chapainawabganj, said: “Offices open tomorrow, so I had to return. Due to the passenger rush and slow pace, the train arrived a bit late.”
At around 11:15am, Shamim Ahmed, a passenger of the Sylhet-bound Jayantika Express, shared that he was heading back to his workplace in Sylhet after the Eid break. He resides in Kamrangirchar.
Speaking to reporters at 11am, Kamalapur Station Manager Sajedul Islam said that up to that point, 23 trains had departed from Dhaka while 14 had arrived. A total of 71 pairs of trains are scheduled for arrival and departure throughout the day. Among them, three trains from the western region—Rangpur, Ekota and Burimari Express—arrived one and a half to two hours behind schedule. Several other trains departed 15–20 minutes late, he added.
Regarding health guidelines, he said: “We are making our best efforts to ensure compliance, but passengers also need to be aware and responsible in this regard.”
