After an eight-day Eid holiday, life began returning to the capital, Dhaka, from Tuesday as government, semi-government and private offices reopened.
Bus and launch terminals have been crowded over the past two days with people returning to the city.
Public transport services increased on Tuesday, breaking the relative quiet on major roads seen during the holiday. Visits to Rampura, Badda, Malibagh, Shahbagh and Farmgate areas showed a noticeable rise in office-bound commuters from the morning.
Transport workers also expressed relief as buses began to fill up again after several days of low passenger numbers.
Abu Sadat, a private bank officer living in Rampura, said: “I returned to Dhaka yesterday after spending Eid with my family. This morning I headed to my office in Mohakhali. Although there were passengers on the bus, there was no usual traffic congestion. The commute felt quite smooth.”
He added that the capital is expected to return to its normal rhythm next week.
A similar scenario was observed in Gulshan and Banasree. Arafat Islam, who works at a private company in Gulshan, said queues for circular buses were shorter than usual.
“Although offices have reopened, Thursday is a holiday for Independence Day, followed by the weekend. The city will likely return to its full pace from Sunday,” he said.
Since morning, a higher number of buses were seen operating on key routes, including Gulshan to Dhanmondi via Gabtoli and Kalyanpur, Shahbagh to Asad Gate, and routes connecting Farmgate, Mirpur and Uttara. The presence of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and ride-sharing motorcycles was also noticeable.
Office areas such as the Secretariat, Motijheel and Karwan Bazar have become busy again, with employees returning to work after the extended holiday.
