UNB, Dhaka :Around 7-8 million people are set to leave the capital city for their native villages to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones leaving the sensitive task of ensuring the security of their houses and valuables to law enforcers.A major portion of the Eid holidaymakers will start leaving the capital for their respective destinations on Tuesday with a worry of returning to the city safely and timely.”As per the information so far we have, around 7-8 million people or half of the city’s total population will go to their village homes from Dhaka on the occasion of the eid festival,” said Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Dhaka Metropolitan (DMP) Muntasirul Islam.He said, nearly 25 lakh Eid holidaymakers were to leave Dhaka by Monday night, while another 20 lakh on Tuesday and Wednesday.Muntasir said, they think bus, launch and railway stations will witness the main rush of homebound passengers on Thursday and Friday as nearly 30-35 lakh people will make their frantic efforts to reach their native homes on the two days.Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated in the country either on Saturday or Sunday subject to the sighting of Shawal moon after a month of fasting.The DMP DC said both plainclothes and uniform police have been performing their duties round the clock at all bus and launch terminals and railway stations to check ‘Malam party’, ‘Agyan party’ as well as other criminals activities and ensure hassle-free journeys for the eid trippers.Police and RAB have already set up control rooms in all bus and launch terminals and railway stations so that they can take immediate measures in case of any trouble.Besides, Muntasir said, area-based security measures will be taken during the eid vacation as half the city dwellers will be staying out of the capital city. Patrols around the city will be strengthened alongside random searches by setting up check posts.”We’ve also taken various steps to make the city dwellers aware so that they themselves ensure the safety of their respective homes and valuables before leaving Dhaka city,” he added.The Home Ministry, meanwhile, has asked the leaders of BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMEA and industry owners, to allow their employees enjoying the Eid vacation from April 14 in phases.Most advance train and bus tickets have already been sold out. Though some eid trippers alleged that they have been charged higher fares than the usual ones taking an undue advantage of the huge demand for tickets, bus operators have justified it saying they are taking it to recover their losses as they do not get passengers in their return trips from outside Dhaka.
