With an unofficial weeklong Eid vacation beginning today, thousands of people started leaving the capital yesterday withstanding the difficulties on roads, and scarcity of train and launch tickets.
The three-day public holiday actually starts from Tuesday, August 30. But as the two-day weekend begins today with Sunday (August 28) another public holiday for Lailatul Qadr, many took leave for Monday to make it a nine-day vacation, September 2 and 3 being weekend again.
However, the Eid holiday will be extended by one day if the moon is sighted on August 31.
"I took leave for Monday just to spend a few days more with my family [in Bagerhat]," said Kazi Nurun Nabi, a government official, waiting at Shyamoli for bus.
Visiting different bus and launch terminals and train stations in the capital, this correspondent found hundreds waiting with their family for transport. Hundreds others were striding ticket counters to get their "dream" ticket.
This year, the pressure on waterways and railways is overwhelming, as many home goers, who travel by bus ahead of the Eid every year, are taking trains and launches this time, fearing dangers on the battered highways.
Officials at Sadarghat Launch Terminal said the number of homebound passengers on waterways has increased by at least 10 percent so far this year compared with the last year. The railway authorities put the rise at around 15 percent.
Many vessels at Sadarghat Launch Terminal were seen carrying passengers nearly double their capacity.
A medium-size vessel weighing 300 tonnes can carry up to 900 people, but they are taking at least 1,500, said an official of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.
The number of people taking bus has decreased in almost all the routes due to their crumbling conditions, Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Samity, told The Daily Star on Wednesday.
The sorry state of the roads is also affecting the bus operation very badly.
"I've been waiting for half an hour. Every time I ask, the bus operators say it will come soon. I don't know when it'll come," said Salauddin, waiting at Kalyanpur bus station.
"The road condition is so bad that I do not know when we will reach home if the bus gets further delayed," added a frustrated Salauddin, who would go to Gaibandha.
For a round trip from Dhaka, buses in all routes are taking three to four hours more than usual these days, SR Travels Manager Masudur Rahman said.
Meanwhile, hundreds were seen queuing at the Kamalapur Railway Station.
"It's safer, especially when you're travelling with your family," says Md Ibrahim, a banker.
Many said they had to wait for trains for more than 10 hours.
Many others did not get ticket.
"I didn't get any ticket for Sylhet. They [officials] said all the tickets were sold out," said a dejected Mosharraf Hossain.
A number of ticket seekers alleged some officials were selling those in black market.
Meantime, a mobile court fined two youths Tk 20, 000 for selling two train tickets at the Kamalapur station.
The court led by Executive Magistrate of Dhaka District Administration Al Amin fined Abdul Alim, 16, a garment worker, and Safiqul Islam Palash, 26, a computer operator at a private firm.
They said they were selling their tickets, as they decided not to go home.
Source : The Daily Star
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