The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mamunur Rashid

Bus, launch terminals and train stations in the city witnessed a huge crowd on Thursday, one week ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, with tens of thousands of people leaving the city to celebrate the holy occasion with their near and dear ones.

Eid-ul-Fitr may be celebrated next Wednesday or Thursday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday being Government holidays leave only two working days in the week. Most of the employees were likely to take two days leave and enjoy a 10-day Eid vacation this year.

Tens of thousands of people yesterday crowded the Sadarghat launch terminal, Kamalapur Railway Station and all the inter-district bus terminals in the city to avail of the transport to ferry them home.

A total of 100 double-decker and triple-decker vessels left the Sadarghat terminal by Thursday evening on 39 routes of the southern region, sources in the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority said.

People in their hundreds from different parts of the city rushed to the Sadarghat terminal braving all hassles.

They went to the launch terminal on foot, by rickshaw, CNG-run auto-rickshaw, taxicab and private car and microbuses.

The middle and upper class passengers mainly booked cabins earlier by paying Tk 500 to Tk 800 extra over the actual fare, while the lower class and lower middle-class people jostled for a little space on the launch decks.

A large number of water vessels were kept anchored in the middle of the River Buriganga forcing the people to get on boats to reach the launches risking accidents.

Cabin fare of launches is higher than the regular charge during the Eid festival, while the deck fare is almost equal to the fare charged round the year, owners and passengers said.

Eid passengers crowed bus terminals as usual to ensure their home journey. At Sayedabad terminal, people were seen bargaining on fare.

The law enforces agencies set up camps at Sayedabad bus terminal and two other at Mohakhali and Gabtali terminals to ensure security for homebound people.

Most of the people gathered in the Gabtali terminal for journey to the southwest parts of the country. Passengers heading towards Satkhira, Jessore, Khulna, Bagarhat, Kushtia and Chuadanga suffered the most as most of them failed to book tickets in advance.

A number of buses that used to ply on other routes started trips to Comilla and other adjacent districts cashing in on the rush of passengers.

Regan, a Satkhira-bound passenger, told the New Nation, 'Normally, the fare for the distance is Tk 300. But they were demanding Tk 500 as fare.'

A good many buses were found taking in passengers some 200 yards away from the Sayedabad terminal yesterday. They were charging increased fare from the passengers.

The situation in the Kamalapur Railway Station was different as most of the passengers booked advance tickets they faced very little trouble in boarding their respective trains.

A total of 21 inter-city trains left Kamalapur Station on yesterday, including a special train on Dhaka-Jamalpur route, station manager Abu Sayed Ahmed said.