With mounting economic challenges and near constant political upheaval, it is natural that Bangladeshis are looking forward to the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays this year with baited breath -- a time when people all over the country visit their hometowns and escape the busyness of their daily lives in the city.
However, historically speaking, Eid-time travel has long proven itself to be a pain point for everyone involved, with issues related to sales of tickets, infrastructural breakdowns, and other problems cropping up right before the holidays. It is good to know, then, that, ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, Bangladesh Railway has already started selling intercity train tickets in advance, with sales being carried out entirely through the internet.
Traveling in Bangladesh, whether by road, rail, or water, is often fraught with difficulties. Overcrowded vehicles, poorly maintained infrastructure, and a lack of enforcement of safety regulations are pervasive problems that affect millions of commuters daily. During peak periods like Eid, these issues are exacerbated.
At the end of the day, the overarching problem is still the abject state of our connectivity coupled with Bangladesh’s overt centralization of the economy down to the capital city, but until more long-term solutions to our intercity infrastructure is made, increasing the number of ferries and launches is one of the best short-term solution we have right now.
The holidays should be a time of rest and relaxation for everyone, worrying about transport, traffic, and indeed the potential dangers of looting and extortion along highways and roads, should not be allowed to get in the way of that. The past seven months have been nothing if not stressful -- all Bangladeshis deserve a little rest this upcoming Eid.
